The Agony And The Ecstasy
by lebxeb
Summary: B&B feel both strong emotions in, The Agony And The Ecstasy. Angst-y lovin' from the outset. Slight plot, bit of Ange, Parker, Hannah, 'nuff said. For the requests, as wasn't going to post this. 2hr read max. Note rating for adult themes and language.


**Disclaimer: **No infringement intended. They're not mine. Fox owns them.

**Summary: **As requested, (Although out of date now) B&B feel both strong emotions in, The Agony And The Ecstasy. Angst-y lovin' from the outset. Slight plot, Bit of Ange, bit of Parker, bit of Hannah, nuff said... Two hour read max. Note rating for adult themes and language.

**Rating: **M/NC17

**Thanks: **Always goes to Kam; for his broad supporting shoulders and warm words of encouragement. XX.

**The Agony And The Ecstasy. **

**Chapter I Laid Waste.**

January 12th 2011, 23.37. Bethesda crime scene. Farm residence of Mr & Mrs Shaddock.

Dr Brennan ripped off her latex gloves, and creaked to stand straight. The florescent lights which lit the gravesite washed out any colour she might have carried in her solemn face. The crisp snow lay a foot deep on the ground, and the surrounding trees bowed low in the coppice with the weight of it. It was as if they were weeping with sorrow for the people that lay buried at their roots.

Bones' exhalations clouded around her head and dewed on her furrowed brow, while she rubbed the crick at the small of her back. She felt the bitter cold right down to her marrow and completely numb. Not numb because of the two hours she'd spent over the ghastly remains but from the tragedy, and hopelessness of it all.

She half turned, and glanced up to her partner standing behind her on the rim of the grave. He looked just as frozen, hunched and trying to wrap his trench coat around himself tighter. She could see his eyes were steely black, his stubbly jaw gritted so hard the muscles in it rippled. She knew he wasn't just cold because of the freezing temperature. He was chilled from seeing the two half-decayed corpses of Mrs Evelyn Shaddock and her seven year old daughter, Cassie.

They were crumpled and mashed together in a hideous rotting flesh pile. They hadn't been laid together respectfully or with dignity, they'd been shoved, tossed in like garbage into the hastily dug deep pit. Bones had seen bodies dumped like this before, too many times to recount. Human life discarded like household waste; useless products with the absence of compassion or care. These two people had been murdered in cold blood, in a so-called moment of incensed passion. This wasn't an investigation that Booth could get his teeth into, this had come about via a bleated confession.

In a vain attempt to divert suspicion from himself, Mr Chris Shaddock registered this family as missing a month ago to the local police. But when no evidence turned up, the police brought in the FBI. Shaddock couldn't withstand the grief and crushing guilt of his violent actions any longer. He'd murdered his wife and daughter in a moment of anguish when he found out that his daughter was not his, and his wife was still having an affair with Cassie's father. His words to Booth had been, 'I just lost it.' Bones heard them too, and thought it a pitiful reason and inexcusable justification for his violence.

The two bodies leached their slow decay into the air around them, and flayed nostrils and adverted eyes. There was an unearthly silence from the crime scene team hovering just a few feet away. A pathetic sight so distressing, it couldn't be looked upon by most for very long.

'It's as he confessed, Booth,' she said gently and with a resigned timbre. 'Mrs Shaddock's skull has been crushed by blunt force trauma, her torso repeatedly stabbed and her right ulna and hands show signs of defensive wounds. Their daughter's hyoid is crushed, I suspect strangulation as I can see...' Bones could see her partner twitch in his stance, clearly agitated as she listed off their mortal injuries. So she stopped, realising that he didn't want the scientific rundown of their struggles to survive their brutal assaults. Their extensive lethal injuries made no difference to them now.

She sighed, and looked back to the two people that once were. 'We need to cover the gravesite till the morning. I'll come back and finish my examination and Hodgins can take his samples then.'

Booth nodded, but she didn't see it. She put away her gloves in her kit, and closed it. Placing it on the edge of the grave four foot above, she reached up for her partner's hand to help her out of the pit. He didn't notice her waiting hand as his eyes were locked on the horrific scene, deep in thought. 'Booth?' He snapped his eyes to hers, realising she needed help to get out.

'Sorry,' he said quietly, gripping her slim hand, and pulled. It wasn't enough leverage, so he reached for her other offered hand. With grunts and considerable effort, he pulled her free from the putrid grave. They stumbled back a little, and she bumped into his body, hitting him flush on. Her pulse reacted sharply as she felt them contact fully. Snapping their eyes to each other, he blinked, staring deeply into her for a few seconds. The old flame flicked slightly brighter in their eyes, just for a guilty, forbidden instant.

Bones understood they couldn't do this anymore; look at one another like this or stand this close. Booth wasn't hers, he belonged to another now and she was finally starting to come to terms with that. Or at least she thought she was.

Less than five hours ago, everything had changed for the worse between them. All the team had been at the Founding Fathers when Booth and Hannah announced their engagement and upcoming nuptials. The news, given by an elated Hannah had sucked the breath from her, she recalled. Booth, she remembered looked her straight in the eye but she didn't see revenge or vindictiveness in him, only a hollowness in his eyes. He may have smiled as Hannah gripped him to her, as they received their muted awkward congratulations, but she could tell he was more worried about her reaction to the news. So she'd smiled generously, stood, and embraced them as well, covering her inner pain remarkably well in the circumstances, she thought. Convincing her friends, Hannah and even Booth, that she was genuinely happy for them. It was then that his cell had chimed, calling them back to the FBI to hear Mr Shaddock's confession.

Bones felt him let her hands go slowly, and step back, as if he understood her thoughts and inner pain and, not wanting to add to them. So she looked around to the pit, and said, trying to sound unaffected, 'It'll be open and shut, Booth... At least they can have a decent burial now.'

She heard him crunch away fast without another word. Watching him walk away with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and his wide shoulders crushed up to his chin, she sighed. He wasn't the only one that loathed this kind of case, she thought, or was there something more behind his sudden silent exit? she asked herself.

Picking up her kit bag, she made her way back to his SUV. As she walked past the waiting team, she instructed the site to be secured till the morning.

!

When she got into the limited warmth of the SUV, and sat next to her partner, she sighed heavily, rubbing her hands to warm them. 'I've booked us into a local motel, Bones. Is that ok?' he asked, looking straight out the windshield, while his hands gripped the wheel. Bones could feel the awkwardness between them, almost crushing them with the weight of the words that needed to be exchanged but were never going to be.

'Yes, fine... I need a hot bath, I'm _so _cold,' she said, sounding completely drained of energy, Booth thought. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye. He put the car in gear, and drove off carefully through the deep ruts in the dirty snow.

The sat-nav's calm voice punctuated the silent drive every now and then. They made slow progress through the icy lanes and away from the tragic family farm. The beauty of the heavy boughs laden with moonlit snow was lost on them and went un-noticed. Even when a russet antlered deer shot across their paths from left to right, leaping the track gracefully, they didn't make comment.

!

Pulling up to the small nondescript one storey motel, Booth turned off the car, and pulled out his cell. 'I'm just gonna let Hannah know I won't be home,' he explained, almost apologetically.

Bones nodded. 'I'll get the keys then,' she said, getting out of the car. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement with the cell at his ear already. Bones closed the car door, and walked into the motel's shabby reception.

'Hey, Hannah,' he said softly, with a grin flirting with his lips. 'Listen, we've got a _crappy _case. I won't be back tonight. We're gonna wrap it up in the morning once Bones does her stuff. I'll get back to DC later, ok?'

'Ok. I've got an early start again anyway. Oh! I've seen some _funky _invitations on line, I'm ordering them now,' she informed cheerily.

'Ok. Right, great, fantastic,' he said, trying to sound enthused, as he watched Bones walk back towards the car with their keys in her hand. He felt slightly nervous, wanting the conversation over before she got back in the car. He still felt the need to protect her even though he had no rights to anymore. He saw the way her eyes had paled when he spoke if his plans, and noted she forced smiles to her lips for him. 'Babe, I gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow.'

'Right, ok. Night, night,' Hannah said, slightly distracted by his brushing her off so quickly and not commenting on the invitations. 'Luv ya.'

'Yep. Ok, night, night, back at ya.' He snapped the phone down as Bones opened the door, and handed him his key.

'Hannah ok?' she asked sweetly, knowing she should ask, that being the social norm.

'Yeah, she's fine. She's got an early start again.' Bones nodded at him, with a closed mouth smile.

'Ok then. I'll, see you in the morning.' Bones grabbed her overnight bag from the trunk she kept in there for situations like this, and made her way to her room. 'Good night, Booth,' she tossed gently over her shoulder.

'Night, Bones,' he said after her. Taking out his own bag, he slammed the trunk, and secured the car.

!

**Chapter II Silent Running**

Simple Jack's Motel. 00.43. Room 101.

The room number was prophetic, it was not far from being a nightmarish rat pit. The bed's thin mattress was so used, it sunk in the middle. Probably made that way from years of one night stands and snatched illicit liaisons, Booth judged. One threadbare blanket covered a grey sheet and the two flat pillows looked pathetic. Booth groaned as he closed the door, and threw his bag on the bed. He walked into the bathroom, and his nose twitched to the musty scent of mould between the grouted cracked tiles. The shower curtain had mildew growing happily on it at the hem too. Booth lifted the lid of the toilet seat, and caught the perfunctory smell of clear bleach splashed haphazardly around the rim.

'Jesus, are there still motels like this in America?' he said, shaking his head disbelievingly at the state of the place. He used the toilet, and turned on the weak shower.

!

Simple Jack's Motel 01.07. Room 102.

Bones sank into the steamy water gingerly, and closed her eyes. It took at least ten minutes for the hot water to get through to her iced marrow and defrost it. She attempted to block out the shabbiness of the bathroom but other visions came back to her. The pit with two people in it and their wretched demise for one, the second thought she dare not linger on too long.

Just once, she thought, let me be happy, just for a little while.

Everything had got on top of her recently. The list was getting longer and more painful to endure, she pondered sadly. There were the personal revelations she had to deal with. The revelation that she loved Booth, but he'd moved on under her insistence, and she'd missed her many chances for happiness. She ached with regrets and sorrow for that loss constantly now. Even their professional relationship had weakened considerably, much to her distress. Now he was lost to her completely. The cases they investigated seemed twice as difficult to deal with because of those events. She felt completely drained, hopeless and insignificant. She felt her age, her physical aches more readily too, and feared she might always feel this way, as she saw no light at the end of the dark tunnel she was in.

She opened her eyes, and wiped her cheeks dry, to stare blindly at the grimy mildew patch behind the dripping faucet.

!

Room 101.

Booth lay in bed rolling into the dent of the mattress, staring up at the ceiling into the dark. He heard Bones' bath gurgle as it drained, and heard her moving around behind his head in the next room. The walls so thin he could almost hear her breathing as she settled into her bed. He strained to hear anything more but as the frosted minutes ticked slowly by, nothing more came to him. However her face did. Her pained expression when he told her of his engagement. He saw right through her tender congratulations and forced smiles. He could feel her regrets and pain like the cigarette burns his father used to inflict on his skin. That information he knew left scars on her. He also noticed she'd withdrawn from him so much of late, and he knew it wouldn't be long before she'd disappeared from view, not just physically but emotionally as well.

He tossed on his bed violently to get his hip away from the broken spring jutting through the mattress, his mind tossing too. He felt uncomfortable, confused and extremely cold.

Hannah had realised there had been more between Bones and Booth's relationship than the professional, and she'd confronted him on it. Booth felt he needed to reassure her and keep up his, 'I don't love her anymore,' lie and had proposed, convincing her he was serious about them. Booth knew it was huge, ugly mistake, a knee jerk reaction to being confronted. Now he was being swallowed up by his mistake and couldn't see any way back. He was hoping she would refuse his proposal somewhere deep inside him but she'd accepted his seemingly genuine proposal. So being the man he was, of his word, he settled for Hannah knowing Bones would never give him what he needed. Now he knew he had to make the best of a bad situation and justified that with at least he knew Hannah loved him enough. She had been prepared and willing to change her core values for him. But Bones' sorrow-filled expression haunted him now, and he desperately fought his compulsion to talk to her.

It was bleak mid-winter outside and inside his dark heart too, as the snow began to fall outside again.

!

Room 102.

Bones' struggles to sleep were keeping her awake. She could feel her breath condense in the air around her head, and wrapped her arms around herself tighter. She drew her knees up to her stomach, and twitched her chilled toes in a vain effort to warm herself up. The bath she'd taken was wearing off and she didn't have the inclination for another. The lino covered floor was not a path she wanted to tread again at this hour, and balked at the prospect. She wondered if Booth was able to sleep through the bitter cold and half thought about complaining to the management. But she didn't have the energy anymore. She missed her own bed, her warm home and its creature comforts. She thought the dank room matched her mood perfectly. It was depressing; hollow, cold and featureless.

Just wanting to feel warm again, and free her mind. She knew how to make that happen and get herself to sleep, just like she'd done many times before. Making her mind up, she rolled slowly onto her back, and slipped her hand under her pyjamas pants. She closed her eyes to shut out the lurid room, and sighed despondently. Justifying her actions to herself, she just had to feel something pleasurable, to block out everything for a few minutes. Wanting to give herself a little respite from her wasting empty life.

She squirmed slightly against the rough off white sheet, and slid her middle finger along her warm folds gently. Opening her legs a little wider, as she slipped that finger inside to the warmth within herself. Coating it, she eased it out and over her clitoris. She felt no shame as she swirled little circles around it. The only shame she felt was when she whispered his name during this deed. She didn't do that anymore, those fantasies were now obsolete and only depressed her more. At those times her fingers were his, or she imagined his hot tongue there. However he always appeared no matter how hard she tried, and that humiliated her too, compounding her loss and mistakes.

As she gently rolled her pelvis in rhythm with her well practised finger's action, she clenched her jaw, forcing herself to rid her mind of him. She tried to manifest another person to emulate his touch; a touch she'd never felt only imagined, and now never would. That final realisation made her eyes suddenly burn, and she leaked free tears at that thought. Distraught and in pain, she tried to quicken her pace to get it over with. Her free hand clenched a fist in anger at her inability to move on, or find another worthy substitute. Her heartbreak completely overwhelming her, she stifled her sobs into the chilled air.

Holding her breath, she rubbed a little harder and faster over her warming clitoris but she just still felt icy cold and pathetic. She rolled her head to the side trying to hide her tormented face in the flat pillow, and took a deep breath in, trying again to lose his image. Probing herself to lubricate her folds a little more to redouble her efforts to escape, she moaned. As she did something caught in her mind, something familiar; she could smell him, close. She knew his spicy musk like her own, as it was imprinted in her DNA now after so many years together. Knowing she wasn't mistaken, her heart stopped as did her hand. Freezing still and silent like the night, she tried to focus her bleary eyes to where he might be hiding.

It was then that his dark, almost naked shape walked quickly towards her, and he stood motionless at the foot of her bed. She opened her mouth to say something, anything but nothing pertinent came to her. Trembling, she waited for him to speak or apologise for his untimely intrusion, he did neither. Bones tried to see his eyes clearly but couldn't.

Suddenly Booth ripped the covers off her body, a gust of icy air whispered over her face, batting her lashes. She didn't have time to react as his hands went to the waistband of her pyjama pants, and tugged them down purposefully. She watched confused as he discarded them onto the lino. Exposed, she covered her mound with her palm, and closed her legs slowly.

As he knelt down at the foot of her bed, the moonlight hit his face from the left, and showed her equally his tortured expression. It was then that she saw his tears glinting on his cheeks in the shaft of ghostly silver light streaming in through the window. She felt her chin start to quiver again and more tears made their way down her face. His expression was laced with severe regrets too, but with immense empathy for her, and loss for what they could have had together.

With a slight tilt of his head, Booth asked her a question, while staring into her watering eyes. That abstract question was profound and courageous, and as loud to her as if he'd spoken it. She swallowed, staring right back as intensely, then he sighed. That soft sigh was his conditions.

It took but a moment for her to understand exactly what he was silently offering her, offering both of them. She could see in his eyes he didn't want any regrets either.

This was to be one night together, in silence, in secret and never to be spoken of again. He was offering himself to her, so they could know what they were never going to have again. After this, he would leave her and get on with his life and marriage. Then maybe she might be able to live off her memories not the fantasies anymore. The decision was too easy to make, she nodded to accept his terms, and embrace her last chance.

So it was, in the nasty, sordid, icy room was where they were to begin and end. It seemed unbelievably cruel after all the warmth they'd shared over the years, that this place was to witness a love that was so strong and brilliant once.

Booth kissed her foot delicately like he was worshiping her acceptance of the rules. While his hands slid up both legs to her knees, she twitched slightly. Feeling the warmth of his hands radiate into her legs, and she attempted to brand her memory with the feel of his lips on her. She knew this was going to be the agony and the ecstasy of their terrifying mutual decision.

She bit her lip to stop her mouth from vocalising her joy and sorrow or God forbid, say his name aloud. That would have been a sacrilege; nothing was allowed to pass between them which may later condemn them both. That being another harsh effect of their cataclysmic decision.

Booth felt her tension as it equalled his own. He kissed her soft skin over her right knee, then trailed his hot tongue up her thigh, then placed another warm kiss on her hip bone. He smiled up at her when she brushed her hand over his hair tentatively. With the other she flicked off a tear from her cheek, and tilted her head at him now, desperately trying to smile back.

Booth placed soft wet kisses over her mound and thighs as she caressed his soft hair, unable to control herself from weeping pathetically.

Seeing her complete unashamed distress, Booth kissed over her body gently, then lay close alongside her to comfort her. She could feel his heat permeate her skin and warm her up a little. He kissed the tears off her face one by one as they were released. She thought that was the tender-est thing anyone could have done for her at this moment. She drew in a ragged breath, trying to stem her bleeding emotions. Booth compassionately slid his hand onto her stomach to calm her. She placed her trembling hand on his, and gently brought it up to her lips. Kissing each finger softly, reverentially, she looked into his glistening eyes, then edged it slowly down towards her yoni. Booth smiled tenderly, giving her a slight nod, understanding what she needed to feel. It was clear she was prepared to endure the lasting pain as long as she could feel the pleasure of knowing what it felt like to have his hands touch her just once.

Bones arched towards him when he touched her their gently. The feel of his fingers on her was nothing close to what she'd imagined; it felt heart shatteringly greater. They were thick, achingly tender and oozed heat into her. She moaned admiringly, tragically, astonished by how he made her tremble. She rolled her head, and opened her mouth against his to steal their first proper kiss of the night. Their wet kiss was tenderly exploratory at first but as his gentle fingers discovered her sensitive bud, she delved deeper into him, urging him on silently.

Booth wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how tender and warm she felt. He ached to fill her mind with his words of love and adoration, those that he'd suppressed for so long. But he knew it would only make this impossible for them both to bear. So he tried to convey all that with his loving slow hand and kiss.

Feeling her yoni heat up, yield and drench, and her body begin to move subtly against him too, he slipped inside her depths, and curled his fingers forwards. Bones gasped in his mouth as the tension rose fast and deep inside her. Heavenly sensations radiated out over her goose pimpled flesh and saturated her mind with this image of them together. Layer upon layer of images, tastes, sensations and memories began to pile up in her erudite mind. Each one better than the last, each detail, a gem to treasure and cling to.

Noting her tears were subsiding now, Booth massaged her inner cleft, and circled his thumb pad over her engorging bud. He watched her nod her encouragement as she stared into him avidly, begging him with her watery eyes not to stop. He felt her hand caressing his nape as he pleasured her, while he saw the other grip up the sheet in her fist.

Booth felt and watched her tension build and her breathing began to shorten to slight inward gasps. Closer and closer he surfed her towards the delicious edge, while she rippled languidly against him now, confident in his touch. His eyes widened in awe, seeing and feeling her begin to melt on his quickening fingers. The provocative fragrance of her sexual arousal tore straight to his libido, and he had an overwhelming need to be satisfied by it.

Just moments before she climaxed, he stilled. She suddenly wilted, frustrated to the mattress as the exquisite tension he'd built up, seeped away. She felt totally confused and panicked all of a sudden. For a desperate few seconds she thought he was withdrawing his offer, and couldn't stand the guilt of cheating on his fiancé, the burden being too much.

Booth saw her confused scared expression cover her flushed face, as he slowly withdrew his fingers. Bones realised guilt wasn't the issue when he sucked each of his fingers dry of her sap, whilst peering into her eyes intensely. He groaned gutturally too, sharply reaching into her again for more, as she arched her back to the legal drugs surging through her brain and bloodstream and the sight of his desire. Coating them again, he sucked his digits off. Bones swallowed to moisten her dry throat, panting her resurgent arousal in his face, with wide expectant pupils.

Bones knew what was coming next, seeing the need in his ebony eyes. She began to quiver all over again with giddy anticipation as he slowly kissed his way down her squirming body. But she stopped him, sitting up, and tugged at his boxers frantically, wanting them gone.

Booth rolled off the bed complying with her demand, and stood beside it, pushing them off with her help. Bones took his organ in hand immediately he bobbed free, then slipped her scorching lips over him instantly. Booth wanted to cry out her name, managing to mask it by panting indiscernible utterances instead. His hands went into her hair, as he staggered because his knees had weakened. Bones hummed sultrily, taking him past her gag reflex gently, pulling him by his buttocks to her. It felt like she couldn't get him deep enough, he thought. He didn't think he could get deep enough either as the sensation was so unique.

She released him from her silky throat a little, and rubbed her tongue on his cleft, sucking to siphon off what he was oozing. Whimpering her enjoyment, she palmed his torso elaborately, feeling his muscles stiffen to her exploratory caress.

Booth had never felt anything this passionate before, he'd been given this pleasure but not by her or so preciously, nor so willingly. His thighs began to tremble, and his hands quivered in her hair, as she slid her luxuriant mouth and wet lips along his pulsing shaft. Her rocking silver body mesmerised him for a few minutes, as she led him somewhere unspeakably beautiful and out of the horrid room.

Just before he was about to lose himself inside her, she stopped. Sucking off him slowly, resting her brow on his stomach, she caressed his furry legs to calm him. He groaned with frustration too now, looking down to her with confusion etched over his face.

Was her stopping payback for him doing the same to her? he wondered. Or did she not want to taste him fully? Then when he looked into her eyes and expression, he realised it was neither. She laid on her side on the bed, and drew her knee up to open herself to him in invitation.

Understanding her silent proposal, Booth immediately laid along her side too, with his mouth level with her sweet yoni. She smiled weakly, as she took his organ in hand, then began to French kiss it again.

She hummed wantonly as he nuzzled into her strip of soft cotton wool curls, breathing her in. He couldn't wait or tease any longer, and gave her one long searing lick, scooping up her pleasure indulgently. Bones nearly floated off the bed with her ecstasy and whimpered her bliss. Made drunk on her, Booth gripped her voluptuous buttocks to him, groaning as he made passionate love to her, whilst stockpiling his own illicit memories, tastes and images.

Bones felt her pleasure growing fast again as he feasted avariciously, and fingered her simultaneously. She gasped off his throbbing organ, wanting to say something to compliment and tell him how fantastic he felt inside her, but battled to stay mute. He flicked his eyes to hers, and gave her a sweet open mouth smile, as he flickered his tongue over her bud. It was blatantly obvious that she didn't need to say anything, she realised, he was already reading her thoughts.

Bones drew him closer by gripping his buttocks, and swallowed him. Booth jerked, stunned by her deep throat-ing him while she applied deep pressure to his sweet spot. He lost that smile exchanging it for a rapturous one, knowing he was going to lose control extremely quickly.

He tried to withdraw before he came but sensing his reluctance, Bones refused to let him, demanding he comply. He grunted a feeble warning but it was too little too late, as he emptied himself down her silky welcoming throat. To his relief she purred preciously, clearly loving the sensation of his hot gushes filling her. It clearly triggered her climax too, as he felt her silky walls constrict rhythmically on his well positioned fingers, and her body quake gracefully against him. He tried to see her expression of ecstasy but regrettably missed it during his. She whimpered movingly throughout her elegant gasped climax. Booth relished every drip she gave him, and treasured every utterance she offered in high acclaim. Booth wallowed in them all, while her mouth held him still in its warm embrace.

As Booth was recovering and smoothing her yoni gently to eek out every drop of pleasure from her, she rolled him flat on his back. Straddling his groin, she captured his cock in her shaking hand. He was about to tell her she didn't need to rush as he felt he could go on for an eternity. It seems she understood as she slipped him inside her, with a strangled sob of unbridled reverence, and began to ride him slowly with her back to him.

Booth immediately leant up, and snapped his arms around her torso protectively, overwhelmed by them being locked together for the first time. He was saddened but not wholly surprised by her choice of position to make love. He'd already seen her tears resurface as she came back down from her lofty high, and clearly didn't want him to see her moved tears.

Lifting off her camisole nightshirt, he tossed it onto the pillows in front of them. Then he began kissing up her elegant neck, while caressing her full breasts in his hot palms. That being a fond dream, she allowed him realise. She turned her face towards his, and kissed him breathlessly, gorging on his slippery mouth and tongue.

He knew she could taste herself as he could taste himself inside her too. Their combination, was to him already known and sweetly familiar and forever imprinted now. He didn't know if that was necessarily a good thing, as no lover would ever complement him so perfectly. His hazardous obsession with her was now fulfilled, but he doubted it would ever be quenched.

The freezing sordid room faded away bit by bit, lost to them now as they moved together. Only the image of the bed remained with them upon it. Raising them high on its plinth to clearly display the love being shared, and experienced. Neither party wanting to recall anything other than themselves.

Bones suddenly broke their deep yearning kiss, and crawled forwards over his legs, tugging at one of his hands. Booth understood what she wanted now. So he scurried on to his knees, and slid back in effortlessly while she groaned her deep grumbling pleasure again.

Booth made gentle love to her for a few minutes, caressing as much of her as he could. Only their quiet breaths could be heard and the creaks of the well used springs of the thin mattress, as they indulged themselves of one another.

Sensations and emotions matchless to anything previous experienced tormented her logical fuddled mind. If she believed in the eternal soul and soul mates, she would have said they were such. He was her beautiful paragon of a lover. Her absolute, and she knew as the minutes ticked by she was never going to feel this way again. So she kept telling herself to remember, remember everything before they were over.

Bones sat back, lifted her hands to his head, and kissed him as he settled on his feet. It was crystal clear she was attempting to feel him in every way, every position she could, he understood. One dreadful thought stuck in his head though like a sorrowful bell tolling; she clearly didn't want him to see her eyes or her deep turmoil.

He thrust up her as best he could, while reaching around to her bud, wanting it to flower for her again. Hoping his generosity would alleviate her torture and his. She nodded, and placed her hand on his there to encourage and understand. Biting her bottom lip, she tried to stop herself from crying out her pleasure too loudly. But she failed as she succumbed to his gentle artistry.

It wasn't long before he felt her body grip his organ tightly, and her throat opened to release a sobbed croon of bliss. Booth felt her whole body quiver in his arms and her vulnerability stabbed at his heart. He rolled flat onto his back taking her with him, while she panted to regain control of her breathing.

Bones juddered, and whimpered flat against him, as the superb sensations he drew out of her ebbed and flowed through her. Feeling his loving powerful arms surround her from behind, her tears returned with a frightening vengeance.

How was it that she could feel such divine bliss, yet ache so badly she could barely breathe? Why was there such a thin membrane between complete elation and utter desolation? she questioned herself and the universe.

It was as if he felt both emotions rioting through her too, and heard her questions clearly. Booth held her tighter, kissing her shoulder to console and tenderly empathise, unable to give her the answers she sought.

Feeling his gross tenderness and care, Bones lost her composure totally. She fell to his right side, covering her eyes with her crossed arms, not wanting him to see her so distraught. He placed a comforting hand on her stomach, but she rolled, and curled into a protective foetal position. She faced away from him towards the frosted milky window. Her body shook uncontrollably with her agonised tears. Booth was in no better state, needing to hold her. He rolled to spoon her, not letting her close off from him. She suddenly gripped his arm to her, kissing his hand as a thank you for holding her now, and all the other times he had when she'd broken down.

Booth was only slightly surprised when she reached between her legs, and positioned his erection at her labia. She then gripped his hand back across her heart, again through yet more sobs. He understood her reasoning; she didn't want to waste a moment of this one night, even if it meant she was going to cry till the sun rose.

Booth couldn't bear not to see her gorgeous face, so withdrew, and rolled her gently onto her back. She kept her eyes shut tight, scared to open them. She could feel his taut burning body cover her and a smooth palm on her wet cheek. That was his silent request for her to open her eyes, she felt. Finding the strength, she did, knowing what was going to pass between them. They breathed each other's exhales, stilling, while their reflections danced in opposite eyes. She sniffed, and attempted to smile, seeing his concern for her.

Booth held her jaw as he kissed her softly. Her hands went around him, and she opened her legs to cradle him between her comfortably. Booth broke the kiss, feeling her hands memorising him, learning and pleasuring him in equal measure. He kissed a path down her moist neck as her body rose towards each kiss he bequeathed. Biting tiny kisses along her jaw line and down her neck again, he supped up her dewy skin. She rumbled her desire in her throat when he got to the base of her neck, and she reacted more readily. Plainly, he'd found a patch which made her see stars. Her short nails nipped his skin, and she shifted her buttocks to position his organ for re-entry. Booth opened his mouth over the erogenous zone on the base of her neck, and sucked hard on it, while forging forwards into her.

'Arrrhhh.' Her long drawn out exclamation made his heart soar, as he felt her tremble like an autumn leaf under him. Her pelvis rocked gently, elegantly to his. He found another patch of skin lower down her moist torso which quickened her pelvis when he mouthed it. Again he sucked hard. 'Hurr, hurr,' she panted, her movements getting wilder and wilder as his mouth smothered a crimson nipple, and he sucked again, then bit down on it. 'Ummm!' she growled sensuously, feeling the delicious pain she sought to obliterate her sorrow.

Booth grunted on each deep thrust he delivered into her thrashing body. Their hands, mouths and limbs felt for everything they could, as they devoured one another.

Bones had envisioned making love to him and how it would be, but this was different. It was, she discovered, conceptually unimaginable in reality, despite her tears and his. It was a revelation so profound to find they were utterly irreplaceable to one another. And that was why this night was tinged with harsh pathos. What's more, Bones knew he felt the same. The passionate love he made to her was all too much and too fast, so she stopped moving, and the delicious tension sapped away suddenly.

Then to Booth's amazement he was on his back, and she was taking over. Her tears dripped onto his heart, and he snapped his eyes to hers. She slowed right down again, and began palming his hair, face and throat with her adoring fingers. Leaning down, she kissed him sumptuously, exotically. He could feel her lips quivering though and her warm sweet breaths caress his face. Her eyes were bleeding her emotions constantly, each tear was like a slash to his heart, slowly killing him.

Had he ruined her by coming to her tonight? What had he done to her? What had they done to themselves? he questioned painfully.

Her palms slid over his chest, and traced his scars fastidiously, kissing them delicately to thank him for bearing them for her. The humility she willingly showed was overwhelming him. Her thumbs circled his nipples then came back to his face, to wipe away his empathetic tears. She took off those tears with yet more trembling grateful kisses.

Bones was worshiping him, idolising him, loving him so completely it scared him. She _was _able to love him unconditionally, she was proving she'd changed and evolved. This, he realised, was what she was capable of and he'd foolishly walked away and that tormented him now. He panicked completely when he saw what was in her eyes and quivering on her lips to be said.

She murmured a piteous, stammered, 'B, Booooth, I, I...' He lifted his hand to her mouth quickly to silence her tenderly. He understood she needed to say something critical but forbidden between them. She stifled her bitter moan on his lifeline, resolving to keep the words that were begging to be said inside her. Excruciatingly, she slammed her eyes shut, and bit one of his fingers over her mouth slowly. Not because he was stopping her from saying it, but because it was the only way she could stop herself from vocalising it.

Booth shut his eyes too, scrunching them up, sealing the pain away as her teeth sunk into his flesh. She felt him nuzzle into her neck forgivingly, whimpering his grave sorrow at staunching her emotions but also knowing what was in her heart for him and had always been there. He blamed himself now for taking her at her word, realising that it was fear and her own ability to love that she'd pushed him away.

He'd prodded for years to get her to open up, now she wanted, needed to, he was silencing her for their own good. But he couldn't bear to hear those words, not from her, not now. He was riddled with enough guilt for both of them. He was living a contemptuous lie, and kept compounding that lie till it was too big to dismiss or ignore. He'd never intended to hurt her but that was exactly what he'd done. Not just hurt her either, he'd disembowel her.

Booth felt her let go her vice like grip on his third finger to drag a breath in. She moved quickly, grabbing his wrists, and held him fast against the excuse of a mattress. Recommencing their love making violently, she attacked his mouth with hers, biting and sucking him frantically, while fucking him hard. Locking her feet under his thighs, she pummelled herself against him in a vicious, wondrous bump and grind, which stole their breaths, minds and restraint.

Manically staring into her eyes, he thought she looked magnificent and equally furious with herself for wasting them. She wildly hurt herself, stabbing her body on his in self inflicted penance. Her hair tossed, perspiration beaded between her bobbing breasts, and her extraordinary yoni sucked at him gloriously. He watched on in awe, made almost immobile by her, pumping himself into her, matching her brutal rolling thrusts. Their bodies snapped repeatedly together, as they struggled to get as deep into each other as humanly possible.

It felt like they were two grey flints cracking together. Their rapid sizzling friction sent white hot sparks off in every direction, lighting up the dank room and them. Then suddenly they both ignited into the torrid pyre they'd made of themselves.

Bones became motionless the instant he released himself inside her and filled her with molten heat. Both gasped as his few precious fluid ounces made them unite for an astonishing instant. Their peripheries blurred and their bodies too as they shared the rapturous blaze together. There was a flare of something dazzling found in each other's eyes, which stalled their rushed breathing and heartbeats momentarily.

With their emotions leaking from their forged eyes, sitting up, Booth snapped his arms around her, to kiss her as deep as he could go inside. She reciprocated just as passionately to his impetuous kiss, while still quaking and now searing hot. They rocked each other to adore and console, while steam vapour rose from their superheated entwined bodies. They kissed desperately now, gasping wet kisses, trying to prolong their elite moment, their last moments. Then they turned to ashes.

Bones' face contorted with her resurging heartache. Seeing it, Booth rolled her under him, not wanting them to end. Gently he made love to her until his erection betrayed them both, and began to evaporate. She clung to him though, skimming his back, his buttocks, and reached to his thighs with her memory absorbent palms. Her ragged breaths were replaced with yet more cascades of tears, as she knew it was truly over as he slipped from her warm enclave.

It was all over and it hadn't been enough, not nearly enough, she knew. She may have stored away the memory of his touch, taste and feel, even his love. But, she pondered, how was she ever going to live contentedly without knowing any of that again?

Bones wanted to wither and die. She wanted him to leave. She needed for him not to see her like this ever again; stripped naked of her strong veneers, covered with the pain she was enduring, and emotionally destroyed.

Finding the courage from deep within, she closed her mouth, pulling her tongue from him. Closing her eyes, she turned her head away from his delicate kissing, whimpering mouth. Then she placed her hands on his tense shoulders, and attempted to push him off her. He resisted her push, wanting to stay with her and hold her, and fought frantically to stay close and inside her. But she was insistent, and sobbed her lying plea, 'Go... I'll, I'll be ok, go.' He'd never heard her sound so traumatised before, and it scared the breath and life out of him.

On hearing her beg him, he realised too it was indeed the end of them and he had to go. So he slid down her body carefully, kissing her adoringly every few centimetres, leaving a wet trail of tears cooling over her quivering flesh. He watched as she crossed her arms over her eyes, so as not to see him leave. As he kissed the end of her toes, he pulled the covers up, and placed them gently over her already grieving body.

As he walked away over the iced lino, he stumbled, tripping over his confused feet, needing to return and hold her, but knew he would be prolonging their agony if he did. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done to walk away from her. It felt like he was abandoning her, as he walked out of the door back to his freezing room.

Bones heard the connecting door click closed, rolled onto her side, and stared at the misted glowing window in silence. She watched a trickle of condensation from the heat and love they'd created, wiggle haltingly down the pane like a teardrop. While the flat polyester pillow barely absorbed her trickling tears for the remainder of the night.

!

**Chapter III Let Normal Relations Resume.**

Crime scene 09.34 The following morning.

When Booth had tapped her grey painted door at eight this morning, she was already gone. When he handed his key in and to pay the bill, he enquired where she was. He was told by the scraggy, food infested bearded, old Jack, she'd left by cab a couple of hours ago. What was left of his heart sank out of sight.

Pulling up at the farm, he could see her looking into the pit with her hands on hips, clad in the Jeffersonian crime scene navy boiler suit. Although there were twenty or so people milling around he only saw her. She looked perfectly normal from a distance, he thought. As he slammed the car door, she turned to see who'd arrived.

To his amazement her eyes weren't red rimmed or puffy like he knew his were. She even gave him a little smile as he neared. She looked back into the double grave again, then he noticed Hodgins poke his head up from the pit.

'Morning, Booth,' she said casually as he stood beside her. 'We're nearly done. Dr Hodgins texted me early, so I came by cab. You don't mind do you? I wanted to finish off here ASAP.' Booth shook his head in silent reply, astounded that this was the same woman he left in bits last night. She sounded completely in control of her emotions, clinically professional and as if nothing happened between them at all, ever.

That was what he wanted, wasn't it? he asked himself. What he'd insisted on? She was doing exactly as they'd agreed but that realisation still cracked the already brittle remnants of his heart.

'Hey, Jack,' Booth greeted him as strongly as he could muster. Jack looked up, then snagged his head back, furrowing his brow.

'Jesus, Booth you look like _shit_. Was that motel as bad as Dr Brennan said then?'

'Yeah it was. Somebody should set about it with a flame thrower in my opinion...' Booth had a thought cross his mind as he spoke the words sincerely. He thought instantly back to the inferno that they'd created between them, and how that could have easily burnt down any structure. 'How much longer?' he added, pushing that latent memory away.

'Ten minutes or so,' Bones said evenly, with a casual shrug of her shoulder.

Booth looked into her face surreptitiously while she watched Jack return to gathering his samples. Needing to know, he asked quietly, stepping a fraction closer to her, 'You ok?' As he did, he caught their mixed scent on her breath and clinging to her skin. It quivered his heart and senses hopefully. He looked to her smooth ruby lips briefly, remembering what they felt like on his and everywhere they'd touched him.

'Yes, why wouldn't I be?' she said blankly, looking at him as if he was from another planet. He noted her acting skills far exceeded his. Then she said, looking back into the grave, 'Dr Hodgins is going to take me back in his vehicle to DC. I'll send you the prelim later. So you can head back now if you want, Booth.'

Booth nodded, quirking his lips, feeling too easily despatched. 'Ok, I will then,' he said a little too bluntly, and spun to leave them to it. Bones flicked him a glance as he walked quickly back to his SUV. Trudging through the thick carpet of snow that had fallen last night, he snapped his teeth together, biting back his hurt and the chill.

His head was full of questions, concerns and his arms ached to hold her again. He felt angry too that she wasn't coming back with him. He was hoping they could talk about what happened last night, even though he knew she wouldn't discuss it, but he wanted to try. They'd made a pact and she was obviously going to stick to it solidly, he ruminated bitterly.

Just as he opened the car door, his cell chimed to interrupt his thoughts. He pulled it out to answer it, as he spotted Bones walking towards him. His withered heart pounded against his ribs, thinking she was going to say something to him about last night.

'Booth,' he answered, watching Bones go to the back of the car, and open the trunk. 'Oh. Hey, Hannah. How are you?' He knew he sounded guilty and very awkward. Bones flicked him a soft smile, as she lifted her kit from the trunk, then closed it gently. She walked away without a flicker of emotion registering on her features. Booth watched her walk away, realising he was having a harder time than her it seemed, with the new situation. He blinked several times to flutter away his tears, and try to make inane conversation with his new fiancé.

Bones crouched beside the grave, and opened her kit. She snuck a glance back to her partner over her shoulder as she fingered out latex gloves. His eyes were risen to the grey clouds which hung heavy with the promise of more snow, and didn't see her glance. As he talked on his cell to his betrothed, Bones only just held back her tears.

!

**Chapter IV Dilemmas Part One.**

Booth's Apartment.

Booth stared at the powerful cascade of water hitting the bottom of his tub. It billowed clouds of steam which condensed on his vacant expression. He held the shower curtain in one clenched fist, while indecision fogged his mind along with the room.

When he'd rolled out of his ghastly motel bed this morning, exhausted and frozen from a sleepless night, he couldn't face showering in the grimy bathroom. He'd dressed quickly, cleaned his teeth, and left the room behind. Once he got back home, his intention was to get a hot shower in a clean warm bathroom, and return to his office to work. As he stood prepared to shower however, he couldn't bring himself to step under the refreshing water.

The indecision whether to shower or not was brought about by the fact that his body still clung possessively to her aroma, their aroma. He had a rich patina of her all over him like he'd been dipped in icing sugar, and was coated with her. His member had her dried essence on him, and felt, as did his fingers on his right hand, sensually moisturised. The scent of their mixed perspiration and love was invading all his senses like a rampaging army. Then he realised, she'd completely routed him.

Hugely erotic images of them together flashed like movie trailer scenes of their actual footage across his eyes, brightening and widening them as they replayed. Her soulful sapphire eyes crying, for example; the smooth slide of his hard flesh sinking into her yielding depths, shortly followed by her lissom body arching under him. Then a peaked nipple atop a creamy dome of flesh and his lips covering it. Next was her gasping expression as they tumbled into the clouds with harmonious ecstasy. His auditory memories also accompanied the cacophony of sepia film clips, he'd hoarded in his mind's cellulose. Although they exchanged virtually no distinct words until it was over, their passion was expressed in haunting moans, and climatic gasps. Their lavishing sounds had garnished every movement they'd made against one another and echoed in his ears now.

The telling truth was he couldn't make himself step under the water. He didn't want to wash her away, or any of the evidence of the passion and love they'd expressed. He loved how he was fragranced and frosted by her. Part of him wanted to be found out. A bigger part knew he couldn't allow that, as he'd be breaking his promise to Bones and dishonouring his commitment to Hannah.

Booth imagined those men who cheated on their partners or wives regularly, would jump into the nearest shower to rinse away their transgressions. However Booth didn't feel as though he'd cheated Hannah, he felt he'd cheated Bones and himself. That was where his guilt lay, for now at least.

Booth took a deep breath, lifted a leg into the bath, and watched the water splash on his thigh for a few moments. Eventually resigned, he stepped the rest of the way under the shower. As he felt the hot water pelt down on his scalp, he wondered if Bones was having the same reluctance to wash him away.

!

**Chapter V Dilemmas Part Two**

Jeffersonian Medical Crime Lab.

Bones stood over the steel examination table, inspecting Cassie Shaddocks' woeful remains, with Jack, Cam and Daisy in stoic attendance. Bones idly noted her colleagues worked efficiently around her, none the wiser to what transpired just a few hours ago between her and Booth. Although she was deeply fragranced and physically marked by the passion they'd exchanged, they didn't notice anything untoward. Bones felt a dampness between her legs, and was slightly tender there too, sure signs and evidence of their lovemaking. Her mind recalled glimpses of their night together and they distracted her from her solemn tasks. She felt unprofessional and her distraction lacked respect for the child rotting on the table, she realised.

So Bones straightened up, and closed her eyes to force away those scenes. 'You ok, Dr Brennan?' Cam asked considerately, on seeing her furrowed brow and tightly shut eyes.

Bones opened those troubled, distant eyes, and tried to force a smile to her lips. 'Actually, I didn't have a good night's rest,' she explained. 'The motel was appalling and absolutely _freezing_.' Bones sighed, and dropped her eyes back to the corpse, vainly attempting to refocus herself.

Seeing her exhaustion and a visible shiver run her spine, Cam offered, 'Why don't you go home, get some sleep and come back later? We can take it from here.'

Thinking that an excellent suggestion under the circumstances, Bones agreed with, 'Yes. I think I will, Dr Saroyan. I'm sure a few hours rest will clear my head.' With that brief exchange, Bones left the platform at pace, gathered her purse and laptop, and went home to get her thoughts in order.

!

Dr Brennan's Apartment.

Bones slung her keys on her kitchen island, with a clatter they fell into the fruit bowl, and she headed straight to her bathroom. Turning the faucet on in the bath, she began to peel off her clothes down to her bare skin. She revealed the evidence of where Booth had been, layer by layer. She felt deliciously infused by his scent, her flesh seemed to be glowing too like embers in a dying fire, and her labia tingled. She looked at her reflection, then to her neck, and touched the marks one by one he'd temporarily tattooed her with. Trickling her fingers over her nipples, she recalled his soft mouth on them. They still felt sensitised, then she felt lower. The part of him he'd left inside her was now on those sensitive folds. She was slick with him and didn't want to lose that evidence, although she thought it irrational of her to think like that. But she couldn't deny herself one last indulgence before she bathed all traces of him away. Closing her eyes, she slipped her fingers along those delicate petals, brought them to her lips, and slowly licked them. Satisfying her new addiction for the last time, she breathed in their fragrance, and savoured their zest with a strangled haunted moan.

!

Bones' shrill cell tone woke her three hours later. She drew in a deep breath through her nostrils, and rolled in her warm, clean, comfortable bed to grab it.

She looked at the caller ID, it read Cam Saroyan. 'Yep, yeah, I'm up,' she answered huskily, sitting up against her headboard.

'Sorry to wake you, Dr Brennan but Miss Wick needs your permission to de-flesh and we found something you need to see on Mrs Shaddock. I've called Booth in too.' Bones rubbed her face with a palm, and nodded.

'Yes, she can. I'll be in shortly, Cam. Half and hour?' Bones flicked off her covers, and stood. Her knees felt weak but it wasn't an uncomfortable sensation rather a pleasant one, she noted. The twinge in her back was gone, plainly straightened out by her mattress and the refreshing nap she'd taken.

'Ok. Thanks. See you then.' Cam disconnected the call first. Bones knew her sympathetic, apologetic tone wasn't just for disturbing her. It was for what she must be feeling after yesterday's revelations at the Founding Fathers. Touched by Cam's compassion, she sighed her gratefulness.

Bones cleaned her teeth, then dressed in fresh Booth-less fragranced clothing. She checked her attire and countenance in her full length mirror, smoothing out any creases. Her palm settled softly over her warm abdomen, lifting her head slowly, she stared deep into her own eyes for several minutes, seeing his reflection in her eyes.

!

**Chapter VI Moving on.**

Jeffersonian forty minutes later.

Bones walked into her lab, and saw him standing on the platform talking with Cam. He had his hands on his hips, in his regulation pose and serious expression on his face. She noted, he wore a different suit and shirt from this morning. His hair was still damp at the back of his head as he'd clearly rushed to return to the Jeffersonian. She reasoned, she was now washed off him, the evidence of their one night together all gone. She knew she had to leave that all behind now, lock it all away and move on. That was what they'd promised each other.

She swallowed nervously, tucked a wayward strand of auburn hair over her ear, then began to join them over the remains of Mrs Shaddock. Bones felt her blood quicken through her heart as her pulse raced and she neared his side.

Booth looked around to see who had swiped their card through the reader. On seeing his partner and her refreshed appearance, he realised too that she had cleansed herself of him, and felt his stomach twist painfully. His pulse quickened as they shared a glance but deliberately avoided any meaningful eye contact.

'Hey, Bones. Feel better for a nap? Cam was just telling me about this...' He pointed to an area on the corpse's ribs. Bones pinched a pair of gloves from the box, and put them on, then began to inspect the ribs.

'Yes, thank you. Arh. Right, I see,' she said, dipping straight back into her professional mode, her focus on the case re-established. 'Extensive bone remodelling on the third and fourth rib. These injuries are at least three years old. Was there evidence to suggest Mr Shaddock assaulted her before this?'

Their conversation was as ordinary as they ever were, however they hid themselves and their thoughts away cleverly from each other. Both had found a path forward but by different means. Bones found it easier not to hold his gaze, although she desperately wanted to look into his eyes to see if he held her there.

Booth watched her latex covered hands gently feel along the old fracture, the image of her touching him that softly struck him with full force. He shoved a fist in his pocket, digging his nails into his palms. By hurting himself those images vanished, and he'd found his antidote too. 'I'll check with local PD if they had a domestic record,' Booth said, pulling out his cell from his pocket.

!

**Chapter VII One Book Closes Another Door Opens. **

Dr Brennan's apartment. Nine weeks later.

'You _can't _do it, Sweetie. Why on _earth _would you do it? It's crazy!' Ange berated from her prone position on Bones' couch. Her bump as big as the cushion she gripped to her swelling bosom.

'I can and I have. I have my reasons, Ange. It's time,' Bones told her friend sternly but calmly, whilst making them another tea in her kitchen.

'But... I don't understand...' Ange tossed her head, completely confused. 'Why kill him off now though? It just doesn't fit. Your publisher is gonna _freak_. Killing off Andy is so... so...' she floundered for the right words to express her shock. Bones brought over the two steaming mugs, placing one on the table for Ange, the other she cradled in her palms.

'They've already signed off on it, Ange.' Ange's jaw hung low as Bones went on, 'I'm letting you read it first as a courtesy for all the times you've helped me. You'll still get your share of the royalties.'

Ange sat bolt up, completely riled, staring at her. 'I don't give a flying _fig _about the money... Don't insult me! What's going on?' she insisted.

Bones swallowed with difficulty, then sat down in the chair opposite, saying softly, 'To be honest, I can't do it any more, Ange. You need to read the rest.' Bones took a sip of hot tea, deliberately not making eye contact with her friend.

Ange asked incredulously, watching her friend closely, 'Shit, no I _don't_. Who else dies?'

'Kathy. I'm ending the treadmill.' Then adding her lie, 'I've gone as far as I can with them.'

'Bull-_shit_! I'm gonna go into labour in a minute if you don't explain what's going on with you...' Bones began picking at her seat cover arm, absently staring into the threads. 'What's happened?' Ange insisted again on a proper explanation, while angrily tossing Bones' manuscript on the coffee table between them.

Bones took a deep breath, and said quietly, 'I don't want to write anymore about them. It's over, Ange, all of it.'

Ange had always understood that the characters of Andy and Kathy were a sublimation of her and Booth's fantasy relationship. It seemed implausible that at the height of her literary fame she chose to end their story now. Bones' abulia to continue with them made Ange deeply inquisitive, so enquired, 'Is this anything to do with Booth and Hannah getting...?'

Ange trailed off as Bones interrupted her with a solid, but brave, 'I'm pregnant...' Ange's jaw dropped again, and her pupils dilated. Bones looked into her eyes now, and added, 'I've had it confirmed by my OBGYN.'

'Who? I mean, when? _How_?' Ange rambled her questions, knowing Bones hadn't been with anyone for a couple of years, or so she thought.

Bones twitched on her seat nervously. 'Those question are irrelevant, Ange. I'm currently debating whether to terminate or not,' she said as unemotionally as she could.

Ange went mute for a few moments to digest the two bombshells then, 'Jesus. Why would you even _consider _that?' she asked stunned but softly. Ange stopped mid thought, then suddenly joining the dots and having an epiphany. 'Oooh. Bren...' she sighed sympathetically.

Knowing now Ange understood who the father was, Bones took a deep breath which lifted her torso, and sighed it back out. She could look her friend in the eye now, now the truth was out. Ange asked gently, 'Did you inseminate?' Bones shook her head slowly, with tears welling, one slipped on to her pretty cheek, defying her resolve not to. She wiped it away quickly. 'Oooh. Shit, _when_?'

'Bethesda, nine weeks ago. Once, just the once.'

'Well, no one would've guessed, you've both been acting perfectly normal... Does he know?' Again Bones shook her head very slowly. 'Are you going to tell him?'

Bones looked up to her again. 'What would be the point? He's getting married in six weeks.'

'It's his baby just as much as yours, Bren. He has a right to know.'

'No, he doesn't... It's my body, his rules.' Bones picked up her tea mug again, and took a sip, hoping to replace the fluids she kept losing via her corneas of late.

Ange snagged her head back. _'His _rules? What's that supposed to mean?' she asked, her brow deeply furrowed.

'We silently agreed to never mention it again, and we haven't. No one was supposed to find out. But, I've had trouble dealing with the knowledge recently and what transpired between us that night and the consequences.'

'I can imagine...' Ange said reflectively, then asked, 'How long have you known?'

Bones put her mug on the low table, and sat back with a slump. 'It's going to sound strange but I knew we'd conceived the next day.' Ange's jaw dropped, and quizzed her with her eyes.

Bones immediately was drenched with her recollection of the moment when she and Booth felt each other blend. She knew in that instant something extraordinary happened. All the combining physical factors had coincided too; her ovulation phase, his warm unrestricted injection and their mutual bliss drawing what he gave deeper into her womb.

Bones explained slowly to an absorbed Ange, 'We didn't use any form of contraception. It didn't enter our heads to... I was preparing to come back to work the following afternoon. I was checking my clothing in the mirror when I felt my uterus suddenly flutter slightly, briefly, it made me gasp...' she explained thoughtfully. 'It was a peculiar but deeply pleasant sensation, as if inside me was a winged presence. I knew instinctually what was occurring inside me. I just _knew _I'd conceived in that moment. I know it's _completely _irrational and I have no proof other than I had my pregnancy confirmation by my OBGYN. And two earlier self tests taken one and two weeks after we made love.' Bones bowed her head, playing again with the non existent threads of her arm chair.

There were a few moments of silence between them, as Ange considered her countenance, then accepted what she had related implicitly. Ange had no reason to doubt her friend as she was never one to lie or romanticise. Then Ange began to run the numbers.

'You _can't _have a termination, Bren,' Ange pleaded. 'You _want _this baby, you've always wanted a child, _his _child. I can understand you not telling him because of _his _situation but...' Ange trailed off, suddenly realising the complexities of her friend's predicament.

'Yes, you see? If I tell him, he'll break it off with Hannah. He'll feel it his _duty _to be with me and support another offspring. He'll be trapped again then he'll ask to marry me and I can't do that under those circumstances. He'll be crushed when I turn him down... We made a mistake which has, quiet frankly, torn me to shreds, now I know what I've missed out on... It was a moment of weakness, I was vulnerable, we both were. We knew we were ending, that there was no hope romantically for us anymore. So he gave me one night with him. I didn't ask for it, he gave, and I took it willingly but under _his _rules.'

'Oooh. _Bren_, darling. I don't know what to say to you.'

'There isn't much you can say,' she said, with a feeble smile.

'What do _you _want, Bren?'

'What I want, I can't have. I missed my chance a long time ago, several actually,' she said reflectively, looking out of her apartment window into the waning sun.

'He's going to find out anyway if you keep it. He's not stupid,' Ange warned.

Bones nodded, agreeing. 'I know, that's why I _should _terminate.' Taking another sip of tea, she peered into Ange's eyes across the rim of her cup.

Ange sighed her words, 'Oh. God, Bren.' It was clear that Ange was at a loss for what to do or say too, Bones noted.

So Bones went on, 'There's another alternative...' Ange looked up to her hopefully. 'I leave, and start again elsewhere with the baby.' Bones saw Ange's eyes pale along with her skin.

'You're too famous to be incognito for long, Bren,' Ange cautioned carefully.

'I've considered that. However I've enough financial backing to get _lost _somewhere till things sort themselves out. Till he's married and settled. I've already started cutting my ties with DC and the book is another.'

Ange nodded. 'I see. So you _do _want the baby?' Ange asked with more hope in her tone.

Bones rolled her head with her emotional pain, saying, 'Of _course _I do. It's selfish of me, I know.' Putting her mug down again, she stared into the space between them. 'I have a part of him I can have forever, a reminder of the l...'

Bones started to weep, rolling over her knees to clutch herself, breaking down completely now. Ange was around her instantly, hugging her close. Bones lifted her head, looking into her eyes. 'Oh. Ange, we were _amazing _together although we cried and cried throughout. It was total _agony _and sublime ecstasy at the same time.' Ange nodded sympathetically, thumbing the tears off her cheeks. Bones went on, getting more and more distraught as the memories and images came rolling back to her, 'He wouldn't let me say it to him, he wouldn't let me tell him,' she sobbed.

Ange could see that agony now written across her face. Her eyes leaked too for her not being able to actually state her heart to him. 'But we _felt _it oh, Ange we felt it so _deep_. So deep we created _life,' _she pleaded for her to understand her sentiment, Ange nodded, sniffing. Then wringing her hands in anguish, Bones carried on, _'_He didn't want to go or leave me alone, I was so distressed after,' she pined painfully. 'I had to _push _him away back to her...'

Bones looked up to the ceiling blindly, seeing only her memories of that night. She stuttered, 'I, I, heard him weeping all night through the paper thin wall between us. I couldn't ssstand it any longer.' Bones covered her eyes with her palms, wiping the wetness away, and took a deep breath. 'So I got up and went back to the crime scene to work,' she said a little stronger. 'But I sat in the snow looking into that grave, reliving every kiss he loved me with, every touch he pleasured me with... He _worshiped _me, Ange, he worshiped me and let me do the same to him.' Ange understood exactly what had transpired to them, she didn't need the details as it was all in her leaking eyes. 'It wasn't enough though, not _enough _for either of us.'

Ange sat on her feet, and sagged her shoulders. 'You're going to go, aren't you?'

Bones fixed her gaze and jaw, nodding, as she pulled a tissue from her pocket, and confirmed, 'It's all arranged.' Then she hugged Ange to her for the strength she needed to move on.

!

**Chapter VIII Bitter Poison.**

Special Agent Seeley Booth's apartment. Four days later. Thursday 22.45.

Hannah flicked off the plasma, and slung the remote on the chair beside her, then looked to her dozing fiancé beside her. Her smile whispered over her lips, as she leant in towards his ear, and blew gently into it. He stirred just a little, shrugging his shoulder a tad to the tickle he felt. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt her hand caress the front of his sweats, and tried not to react too violently. 'Seeley? Let's make love,' she whispered into his ear sultrily.

Booth thought it ironic and almost laughable Hannah called what they did making love. He'd never made love to her before, he'd fucked her and had great sex with her but never made love to her. The only person he'd ever made love to was his partner. He didn't think Hannah capable or knew how to make love to him. Their relationship was based on a single event where he supposedly saved her life. Bones and he had years of emotional depth, infinite compassion and mutual care, with layer upon layer of love between them. Like lava builds a mountain so had their love grown so big and set them on top of its cone. Then that night when they physically expressed that love for the first time, they fell into the broiling cone, and were incinerated by it. Hannah could never understand or replace any of that. Bones knew how to love him though, he remembered, and she still haunted the annals of his mind and body.

As soon as his partner's beautiful enraptured face ghosted across his closed eyes, he placed his hand over Hannah's on his groin. Then he pushed it away carefully. She sighed heavily, exasperated at his refusal, yet again, to engage with her.

Booth fluttered his eyes open, and looked at her. 'No, Babe. I wanna wait till we're married. You agreed to abstain till then. I'm pretty tired anyway.' He got up briskly, and took the empty whisky glasses into the kitchen. Hannah sighed, watching him leave her alone on the couch.

She knelt up on the couch, leaning on the back of it on her elbows, saying, 'Yes, I understand that you want our first married night to feel special. And _yes _I agreed at the time but this is cruel, Seeley. It's not like we haven't done it before!' she shouted out to him. 'Jesus, we were at it like rabbits until you had this _ridiculous _brainwave. I'm starting to think you don't want me anymore!' she berated playfully. There was a crash of glass on the kitchen floor, and a muffled expletive from her partner to accompany it. Hannah grinned, and rolled off the couch to help him clear it up.

She leant on the door frame, watching as he crouched to pick up the shards scattered across the floor. 'Butter fingers,' she chastised cutely. He glanced to her over his shoulder, seeing her bare feet.

'Don't come in, you may get cut,' he warned flatly, picking up the remaining pieces carefully.

'Seeley, you do still want to get married, don't you?' she asked, with her brow furrowed, getting slightly concerned. 'It was _you _that persuaded me to get hitched remember? You wanted this, us.' She saw him nod once. He didn't turn to look at her or answer, but placed the glass in the trash can. 'Seeley, answer my question, do you still...'

'Yes,' he said quickly, realising he'd left too long a gap between answering her, knowing he needed to cover or this was going to blow up in his face. 'I do, course I do,' he lied expertly. 'This no sex rule is hard for me too, ya know. But just think what it's going to be like when we _do_,' he said, waggling his brows suggestively.

Hannah smiled sexily as he walked into her waiting arms, and gave her a hug, then a friendly pat on the back. She started to giggle at his stiff back pat. 'What the _hell _are you doing, you crazy agent? Patting my back like you're placating a stranger.'

He said with a charming cheeky smile, 'Well, if I get all _affectionate _you're gonna get sex crazed and ruin it all. We've done _really _well so far, nearly three months.'

'Nine and a half weeks to be precise,' she corrected with a smile. 'Kiss me ya fool,' she commanded, squeezing his buttocks, clearly pacified. Booth grinned, and pecked her lips softly. 'Properly,' she whispered her instruction across his lips. So he did.

While their tongues swirled, he nearly grimaced at her bitter taste, almost recoiling from her. He had to force himself into kissing her now, he knew it was probably guilt that made her taste rancid to him. Or was it because he'd tasted the sweetest kiss possible and Bones had spoiled him for anyone else? he pondered. He still could taste the honey she offered him when she came on his tongue sometimes, if he closed his eyes hard enough and dreamt of her. He wondered if Bones dreamt as often as him of those treasured hours they spent together.

Unable to continue, Booth withdrew quickly from Hannah. He spun away, walking towards the bathroom to clean his teeth. Hannah stood dumbstruck, as she watched him leave her high and dry. Booth threw over his shoulder as casually as he could, 'I've got an early start, I'm gonna get some sleep. Night.'

!

Booth's apartment. 06.04. A Friday, the next day.

Booth disentangled himself from Hannah's possessive clutches, and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Hannah propped up her head on her palm, watching him, and said, 'You said her name again last night.' She ran an index finger down the line of his spine as she spoke.

Booth didn't hear any accusation in her statement just confusion. 'Did I? I can't be held guilty for anything I might say when I'm asleep, can I? I was probably dreaming she'd pissed me off like she usually does.' He thought that rather a good deflection, and walked out to the bathroom with his guts in perpetual motion. He shut the door, and turned the rarely used key to make sure she didn't follow him in. He leant on the back of the door, closed his eyes, then slid down it till his buttocks hit the floor, and wept silently on his knees.

'I have to do it soon,' Booth muttered to himself. 'This weekend. That's it, no more lying.'

!

**Chapter IX The Eleventh Hour.**

Dr Brennan's Apartment. A Saturday in March 17.00. Ten weeks after the events in Bethesda.

_'Do you need me to come over and help?_' Ange asked pleasantly.

'No, Ange but thanks for the offer. I've got it all under control. Just get here a little early, is that possible?'

_'Course, we'll be over a seven, ok?'_

'Great, see you later.' Bones put her phone down, and sighed relieved. She checked the kitchen clock. She had another couple of hours before all her friends and work colleagues descended for the dinner she'd arranged. She looked over the immaculately laid table, and checked the casserole she was preparing. Pleased with its progress, she went to get ready to receive her guests.

!

Bones opened the door, relieved to see Ange and Jack on the other side. They smiled warmly at her, stepping over the threshold, as she stood aside to let them enter.

'Wow. Table looks _great _and something smells wonderful, ' Ange gushed, hugging her dearest friend affectionately. Jack continued the warm hugs after Ange had let her go.

'Make yourselves a home. I've just got to make the glaze for the carrots. Wine, beer?' she offered sweetly, returning to he kitchen.

'I'll get it,' Jack said helpfully. He went to her fridge while Ange took a seat at her kitchen island. Bones busied herself with the final preparations. 'You look _amazing _by the way, Tempe,' Jack said sincerely.

'Thanks, Jack. I feel it.' Bones smiled wildly at him, her eyes glinted with her secret joy and calmness. 'Now the decision has been made and all of my plans are in place. I feel so much more relaxed about things.'

Jack nodded, giving her a sweet smile back. He took his seat next to his wife, and grinned at her. However, his wife didn't look so overjoyed. Jack understood Ange had deep reservations about their friend's plans, and felt her deep sorrow for losing her dearest friend to another part of the world.

'So, is it just us that knows?' he asked, taking Ange's hand in his under the counter, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Bones spun, wiping her hands on a tea towel, nodding.

'Yes. I think it will be better this way, telling everyone together, don't you? I didn't want to single anyone out.'

'I still think you should have told Booth personally, Sweetie,' Ange added carefully.

Bones dropped a hip, and pouted at her slightly. 'I know you do. I've prepared myself for it now so...' Bones sat opposite her friends, seeing Ange's sadness, she reached for her hand on the counter top, and gave her a sweet smile, saying, 'Please don't be sad, Ange. I'm happy.' Ange nodded at her, squeezing her hand back in support, but knew her better than her words suggested.

!

Two hours later.

Bones sat down after clearing the dessert dishes away from all her guests. Booth was sat at the far end of the huge walnut table opposite Bones, with Hannah on his right. Jack and Ange alongside her, and opposite them Cam and Michele. Then Daisy and Lance. She looked around the table with a wide smile for a few moments, listening to the merry conversations and relaxed replete poses. She felt her heart rate pick up, as she took a deep private breath, preparing herself to deliver her news.

'Have you all had enough to eat?' she asked causally.

'Masses!' Booth exclaimed cheerfully, beaming her a huge smile. She nodded, but looked away from his eyes to the rest of her guests as he went on, 'Couldn't stuff another morsel in.'

Since he'd made his decision to break off his engagement with Hannah, he felt liberated. He'd decided Sunday was the day, but he just had to get through tonight, he thought happily.

Hannah lent over, and kissed his cheek cutely for his cheerfulness tonight. She hoped he might relent on his no sex rule in the mood he was in, and couldn't wait to get him home. She just had to get through this dinner, she thought full of hope.

Bones saw the look in Booth's eyes as Hannah had kissed him. It seemed to her he was embarrassed by it, but she chose to dismiss it as an aberration. There was a chorus of sated agreement with his comments however, which relaxed Bones a little more.

'Good. Right, well... I've an announcement to make,' she said fairly brightly.

'Oh! Is it a toast? If it is, we should've brought sleeping bags! You know how long her toasts are,' Booth said jovially. Everybody either giggled or chided him. Bones laughed a little too, then waited for the gentle ribbing to die down.

'Actually it isn't, Booth. I said an _announcement,' _she corrected him gently.

'Get on with it then!' He smiled hard at her, so hard his cheeks ached. She noted how happy he was, his eyes sparkled with the subtle lighting she'd set, and she thought he looked spectacularly handsome tonight. She tried not to let her true emotions surface, as she took an another deep breath. Then she looked to Ange, her touchstone, who gave her a reassuring secretive nod to continue.

'I asked you all here tonight because I wanted to share something with you all, my special, closest friends.' She noted Booth went very quiet suddenly, and lost his smile a little. Everybody held their breaths waiting for her to continue, looking to her with intrigued expressions.

Keeping her smile fixed, Bones said, 'I'm leaving the Jeffersonian, DC, and the country.' Her words came out slightly rushed, and the atmosphere suddenly changed from light to humid as if a storm was brewing to her north. 'I've been thinking about moving on for sometime now.' She fingered her empty glass, looking into it briefly, then carried on, 'There's more to life, I've realised, than crime solving, forensic anthropology and writing novels,' she explained, while looking around at all the stunned faces.

'I'm going to travel... I'm financially stable enough now and I want to explore as much of this planet and the people of it as possible. I've finished my _last _novel, thanks to Ange's wonderful direction and constant support.' She looked to her dearest friend with a sweet grateful smile. Then gestured around the room, adding causally, seemingly unaffected by her next words, 'This apartment is sold and I am officially handing in my resignation to you, Cam, as of now...'

The deathly silence hung heavy over the table guests like a cool grey cloud, their uncomfortable shock was palpable. Lance shook his head disbelievingly, and adjusted his seat, furrowing his brow, deep in thought. Daisy gripped his hand in hers, distraught at the prospect of losing her mentor but hiding it fairly well. Cam's shoulders sagged, and she looked over to Booth then down into her placemat. Hannah looked to everyone else but her fiancé. Michele was the first one to say anything to break the awkward silence, 'I think it's a wonderful adventure to embark on. Fantastic, _truly_, Dr Brennan.'

Touched by her clear endorsement, Bones said brightly, 'Thank you, Michele. I think so too.' Bones looked to Ange and Jack who had their heads down, but she could see their eyes flicked all around the dumbstruck faces.

'When?' Booth asked quietly. Bones could feel the hurt in his voice leak through his brief question. The tension in the room became thicker as they all looked to the partners staring hard at each other now.

'Two weeks...' she replied carefully, then looked to Hannah, saying, 'I apologise to you, Hannah. I'll not be able to attend your nuptials but I wish you _every _happiness this world can offer,' she said sincerely. Getting up, Bones walked to her dresser. She opened a cupboard, and brought out a beautifully wrapped boxed gift, she placed it on the table in front of her. Feeling Booth eyes watching her every move, Bones felt her cheeks flush. She kissed Hannah's cheek sweetly, then went to Booth and kissed his too. 'All the best to you _both_,' she just managed to stop her voice from breaking on her words.

Booth clenched his fists as she kissed him delicately. Standing suddenly, he said bitterly, 'We don't want your _gift_...' His chair scraped the floor adding an angry noise to his statement, everybody stiffened. Towering over her, he looked enraged and deeply hurt to Bones. Something else too swirled in his narrowing eyes, she noted; blind panic.

'Seeley?' Hannah reprimanded his viciousness, trying to calm him by taking his hand. He snatched it away from her, not wanting or needing her touch.

'I need to talk privately to you,' he growled through gritted teeth into Bones' face. She stepped back from him, and shook her head very slowly. She couldn't risk that, she knew he would get to her truth if they didn't have others around them. That was the sole purpose of having the dinner party; safety in numbers. Bones was beginning to feel she'd grossly miscalculated his reaction to her news.

Then Bones asked too much of him, 'Just be happy for me, Booth. _Please_?' She felt her eyes starting to well. All the other guests' eyes were on them too but they were alone in the room, it appeared. They stared intimately into each other again, for the first time they had since that momentous night.

'Happy?' Booth asked incredulously. Then ranted bitterly, 'You invite everyone here and you tell us this _monumental _decision which affects all of us like it's _nothing_!' He gestured angrily around the table to give weight to his words. Furiously he went on, 'You don't even have the decency to tell _me_, alone! No discussion, no debate, just, oh by the way, I'm _fucking _off and leaving you all, bye, bye and expect us all to be _happy _for you?'

Ange stood purposefully, slinging her napkin over the table mat, looking to all the remaining guests. She motioned them out of the room quickly, sternly. Everyone stood to go with the exception of Hannah. They all shuffled out, mute, following Ange into the guest room. Jack grabbed a bottle of wine by the neck to take with them.

Booth and Bones didn't see them exit, they were stuck on each other's eyes. 'I understand you're upset, Booth, but this is _my _life, _my _decision.'

He interrupted her fiercely, 'It's not your life! It's _ours_!' he spat at her arrogantly.

'No, you're wrong, it's _my _life. You're the man I work with, _nothing _more.'

Booth staggered back sapped of strength and air, collapsing to the chair again as if felled by the icy blade of her words. 'I apologise, Hannah. I didn't realise Booth would react so badly to this news.'

'Neither did I, but it seems we both underestimated the depth of his feelings on the matter. Personally, I think it's _great _news. I'm genuinely pleased for you and good luck, Temperance.'

'Thank you. I appreciate the support. I didn't come to this decision lightly. But I've stagnated and feel I need to move on with my life.' Booth yanked his hands out of his messed up hair, and thumped his fists down on the table, disgusted by her statement. The crockery and glasses leapt slightly, tinkling their shock. Bones snapped her eyes to him. 'Booth, I'm sorry but my decision is final.'

'It doesn't make any sense.' He shook his head, looking into her eyes. Then his rage resurfaced, ripping his body into tension, strung tight like cat gut. He had an impulse to grab her and drag her somewhere they could be alone. 'We need to talk, _now,' _he snarled at her, standing menacingly again.

'I'm leaving, there's nothing to discuss.' Bones spun to walk into her kitchen, Booth grabbed her hand, stopping her walking away. They tussled, tugging at each other.

'For Christ's sake, Bones!' He fought to keep her close, yet again.

Bones felt his hot hand crush hers, and could smell his rich terrified scent invade her body. Sensing his ire, confusion and panic, she tried to subdue him with a gentle, 'Booth, don't do this...'

'Seeley? Calm down! Let her go. You're hurting her,' Hannah scolded, slightly panicked by his irrational anger towards his partner.

Booth looked disgusted to Hannah, and snarled, 'Oooh. Shhhut-up. This has nothing to do with _you_!'

'How _dare _you speak to me like that!' Hannah stood instantly, and smacked him across his face fro his dismissal of her. His angry expression was slapped off him by her, and he let go of Bones' hand. Bones stepped another pace back, bracing herself on the kitchen island behind her.

As if unaffected by the slap and Hannah's irrelevance, Booth looked to his fading partner. 'Why?' he asked, stepping closer in front of her, their eyes trained on each other's.

'I've given you my reasons. You've no rights over me or what I do.' She dropped her eyes from his, knowing he would see inside her if she didn't and he would learn their secret and the reason she was leaving.

He grabbed her hand again. 'Yes I do, I have rights to you, you're my _partner_. Look at me for Christ sake, _look-_at-me!' he insisted, squeezing her hand tighter to get her to make eye contact.

This situation had got out of hand so Bones reacted fast. She slipped her hand around his wrist, and held him back, holding him in a painful wrist lock, almost breaking it as they glared into each other.

Bones warned tenderly, 'Don't make me break it. I will, you know I can,' whispering the words, her emotional control starting to slip.

Booth saw her close to her tipping point, he was at his point of no return already, and urged soulfully, 'Break it, _do _it, break it... I'm already numb, Bones. I won't feel it,' he whined, rolling his head for her to understand. She saw his eyes dim then start to brim. 'I haven't felt anything since Bethesda...'

Bones let go her grip instantly, mortified he'd said the word. There was another ominous silence which swirled darkly around the ménage a trois.

Hannah looked to him then Bones. 'What happened in Bethesda?' she asked suspiciously, already starting to make connections in her mind though.

_'Nothing_,' Bones snapped instantly, convincingly. But Booth superimposed that lie with the reality and truth, _'Everything_...'

Bones sucked in a stunned breath, with her eyes widening. She couldn't believe he'd broken their pledge.

Then to Booth's horror Bones' eyes clouded, and she began to stagger back as her knees buckled. 'Bones?' he said, seeing a dainty hand went to her stomach, and the colour began to drain from her face. Booth leapt forward, and staggered to hold her around her waist to stop her from fainting and hitting the floor in a crumbling heap. 'Fuck, what's happening? Bones?' he asked panicked, cradling her rolling head in his palm. He laid her gently but unconscious on the floor between his legs. _'Ange_!' he hollered. 'Ange! _Jack_, _Cam_!'

Hannah stood beside him, as he trembled with fear and confusion, crouching over her. 'Oh. Jesus, she's bleeding...' Hannah said horrified, stepping away. Booth looked around to her completely dazed, as everybody came running back into the lounge.

On seeing her friend on the floor, instinctually knowing what was happening, Ange whimpered, 'Oh. _Nooo_.' She began to weep, and sat heavily on a dining room chair. Jack and Cam went quickly to Bones to assist if they could.

Confused, Booth stood up, then he saw from where she was bleeding. There were gasps from the other's when they too realised the blood's significance. Lance pulled out his phone, and hit the essential keys, slinging his arm around Daisy who rubbed her brow in shock.

Booth staggered back to the table, seeing the darkened patch on her jeans and blood pooling between her thighs on the stone kitchen floor. He looked to Ange, Bones' confidant, who was looking at him with grave compassion. His eyes sunk from hers back to his greying partner on the floor. The red mist that had clouded his eyes cleared, washed away by his tears. He felt the revelation and reality like more chopping blows. He slumped limp to a chair, forgetting to breathe, not wanting to ever again.

There was chaos and noise all around him. The agitated air was drenched with sighs of understanding, resignation and strained hushed voices. People flitted backwards and forwards across his view as he stared at his unconscious partner. Then he looked back to Ange, the relative calmness in her watering eyes he clung to.

She got up, walked to him slowly, seeing his eyes poured freely. She could see his heart breaking in his chest and the agony of it in his eyes. Ange held him tight around his trembling shoulders, as they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

!

**Chapter X Aftermath.**

Georgetown Private Medical Facility. One hour later.

'The no sex rule; hating me touching you, or kissing you, no interest in our wedding plans, calling her name out in the night... Bethesda was the scene of the _crime_, wasn't it?' Booth could only nod, and hang his head guilty. 'When were you going to tell me you cheated on me, or weren't you?' He slumped back to the chair, and rubbed his face hard. He didn't think there any point telling her he'd planned on doing it tomorrow.

'No, I suppose you couldn't really, could you...?' Hannah looked up the bland hospital corridor to the other worried dinner guests pacing the floor. They were haloed by the light streaming through the window at the end of the corridor. They looked contortedly thin and tall, with their edges blurred by the rays, and they murmured their hushed conversations.

Hannah thought out loud, 'Ange knew, Jack too probably. She must have told them or they guessed. I'm surprised you didn't see it in her, Seeley. You must be loosing your touch...' She looked back to him, saying, 'So, you got Temperance pregnant... Didn't you think to use anything? In this day and age and with your maturity...' She shook her head disbelievingly, amazed he'd been so lax, as they'd always used condoms without fail.

Booth grit his jaw, trying to defend gently with, 'We didn't plan it, we made love just once. We didn't mean to hurt anyone. It was our first and last time. We promised to never mention it again. We just got...'

'Carried away?' she asked sarcastically, finishing his sentence. Booth had no defence so didn't reply. Looking to her engagement ring, Hannah pulled it off, and held it over his thigh to take back.

He shook his head. 'Keep it, sell it, whatever. I don't care.'

'No, no you don't. Thank you, I will.' She put it in her jean's back pocket, and sighed, resigned. 'Did you _ever _love me?' Booth lifted his head slowly, and met her gaze. His vacant eyes told her all she needed to know. 'No. Clearly not. Not like you do her anyway. I see. Just sex and a way to hurt her for rejecting you. Wow. I feel _sooo _special.' Booth dropped his chin onto his chest, not wanting this conversation now. 'Well, I'm gonna go back to the apartment and pick up my stuff.'

'Where will you go?' he asked, looking up to her haltingly.

She grinned arrogantly, then stood, saying belligerently, 'I've _never _had trouble getting home from a party before, Honey.' She kissed his messy hair once perfunctorily. 'Seriously though, Seeley, I sincerely hope Temperance comes through this ok. I've always liked her.' Booth nodded a tiny amount, and watched her walk down the corridor. He saw her say her goodbyes to the gathered squints and disappear quickly. He looked into Ange's eyes, whose were the only pair that dared to look at him straight on.

Ange thought he looked grey and matched the corridors bland colour scheme, almost blending in with it and about to disappear. He had strangely shrunk in stature too, she thought; looking tiny and frightened to her. Ange began to near cautiously. Booth sighed as she sat gently next to him without a word. It was a few minutes before he'd the strength to say anything.

'I thought, I thought she was looking really good lately; happy,' he reflected. 'She hid everything _so _well. She'd stopped drinking too, hadn't she? I didn't see the signs or join the dots...' Then he asked, 'She was gonna leave and not tell me about our baby?' Ange nodded sympathetically.

'Yes, how could she? She debated about having a termination but knew if you ever found out, it would crush you. But, she wanted your baby so _badly_, Booth,' she told him, with tears boiling on her lids. Ange took his hand, seeing him so fragile. 'She said it was a reminder of the love you shared that night, a part of you she couldn't have anymore...' Booth rolled his head with the irony, trickles of tears made grooves in his hollow cheeks as she continued, 'She _had _to go now before you realised, and she didn't want to mess up your wedding plans. She knew if you found out before, you'd break it off and want to marry her...' Booth nodded, understanding it all now, hanging his head.

'Ange, oh, Ange, our _baby_... We lost _our _baby,' he whimpered, crushed. Ange hugged him to her chest as he sobbed on her.

'I'm _so _sorry, Booth. So sorry.' Booth clung tightly to her. 'For both of you.'

'Do, do-ya-think-it-was-my-fault?' he enquired, barely able to ask the question but having to. She wrinkled her brow, confused by it, thinking he meant how they got pregnant. He looked up to her eyes, clarifying. 'The fight we had, I hurt her hand, crushed it in mine.'

'No, _no, _Booth. I'm certain that had nothing to do with it, _nothing_,' she tried to ease him.

Just then Cam's partner came into the corridor. Ange and Booth looked up anxiously to him as he spoke to Cam and the others. Then they watched as Cam and Paul neared them.

Booth stood to shake his offered hand nervously. 'Hello, Seeley... I've got some sad news, I'm afraid. Temperance _has _lost the baby.' Having his suspicions confirmed weakened his knees, and his eyes leaked copiously again. Booth fell onto the corridor wall using it as a prop, rolling his head on it.

He stuttered, 'How, how is she?' sounding, and looking utterly distraught.

'Not too bad. We performed a vacuum aspiration of her womb. It's a standard procedure and will not affect her ability to conceive again. She's sedated at the moment to help her sleep and keep her comfortable. But she should be fit enough to come home tomorrow. A few days of rest and she'll make a full physical recovery.'

'Why? How, I mean, why did she miscarry?'

'It's _extremely _common in the early stages of pregnancy, Seeley. Many women are not aware they are pregnant and suffer a heavy menstrual cycle and are none the wiser. Temperance was just inside her first trimester.'

Booth nodded, wiping his eyes, then asked, 'Can I see her?'

'You can go in, of course but she's asleep, and will be for some hours yet.'

He whimpered, 'I just _have _to see her.' They all nodded at him sympathetically. Ange and Cam watched him trembling uncontrollably as they too shed tears for their friend's loss.

'I understand, I'll take you to her.' Paul gestured along the corridor for him to lead the way. Booth walked unsteadily up the corridor and past his colleagues. They gave him their condolences but he didn't hear or register them.

Paul talked quietly to him as they made their way to her room. 'She'll look a little pale,' he said softly. 'We had to give her a some plasma as she lost a little too much and she has a saline drip to replace her fluids. But please don't be alarmed.' Booth nodded, so anxious he could barely walk beside him. 'She may have a little difficulty coming to terms with your loss. I've spoken to her personal OBGYN and he told me she's known of her condition almost from conception. She will have become very connected to the baby and the idea of becoming a mother.' Booth placed his palm flat on the door before Paul pulled it open, keeping it shut. Paul's words had smacked his face hard.

'She's known that long?' Booth asked rhetorically, stunned to learn that.

'Oh. I'm sorry. I thought you knew?' Booth shook his head feebly.

'I only found out she was pregnant an hour ago when she collapsed in my arms.' Then rolling to rest his back on the wall, he thought out loud, 'Oh. God, I knew something had happened to us that night.' Paul looked him over, seeing his complete distress and anguish.

'Seeley, I think this might be a mistake. You're too distressed, maybe you should take some time for yourself.'

'You don't understand, I need to be with her even if she's not aware of me,' he pleaded. Paul searched his hollow eyes, and nodded. He opened the door wide letting him enter.

Booth rolled inside slowly, his eyes went straight to her serene face. He ignored the drip in the back of her hand and her wan complexion. He also chose to ignore the heart monitor bleeping quietly beside her, seeing only her peaceful beauty.

Booth walked slowly to her side, and knelt down beside the bed quietly. He took her limp hand in his tentatively, feeling the warmth and softness of it, and remembered. His tears dripped on the back of her hand as he kissed it delicately, repeatedly.

As the nurses came in to check on her hour after hour, removed her drip and took her vitals, he didn't move from his praying position. He stayed next to her, holding her hand through the long night. He bled internally for their loss and wondered what was to become of them now.

!

**Chapter XI Starting over.**

Georgetown Private Medical Facility. The next morning.

The new fresh dawn broke and spilled its light through the cream drapes in the dull but comfortable room. Bones blinked open her eyes, glared by the brilliance warming her face. Focusing her eyes, initially confused to where she was, then feeling herself so tender, she remembered, and wasn't confused anymore.

The last few weeks when she'd woken in her own bed, she would grin cheerfully. She felt special, privileged and excited to feel so full and strong. Then she would pat her stomach gently, she recalled, to say good morning to the precious life she grew inside her. Now there was no point in doing that, that precious life she'd been nurturing, its light had extinguished and faded away. She was no longer a mother to be, just back to being an ordinary woman, an empty vessel now, cold and lonely again. All the plans she'd made and put in place for her new life with her baby were all for nought, and her life was in flux again.

Biting back her tears, and closing her eyes again, she tried not to let guilt swallow her up. Rationally she knew miscarriage was commonplace but that didn't make her pain easier to accept. The questions; what did I do wrong? Could I have prevented it? And irrationally, was she being punished for being too happy or too selfish? All struggled to be answered in her mind and tormented her. Then there were all the other unanswerable questions and thoughts; does he blame me for losing their child or himself? Does he hate me for not telling him? What will become of them now? Should she still leave this life behind for the new one? With all that racing her mind, one nagging thought floated above the rest constantly, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it. This one made her eyes cascade and her heart wither painfully; she wasn't going to be a mother or have their baby. She'd lost what she hoped to keep forever safe and treasure.

Feeling a hand in hers, she tilted her head to see who it was holding her so tenderly. She swallowed, attempting to staunch her tears when she saw who it was. Her beautiful partner was breathing softly over her hand. She knew he must know she lost their baby, and felt her emotional pain resurface. In her anguish she gripped everything she could, his warm hand being one of those things.

Booth felt her palm grip his, he jolted awake from his shallow slumber, and looked into her. On seeing her tears, he instantly joined in with her sorrow. He kissed up her arm slowly towards to her face. She shut her eyes as he neared her lips carefully. 'Don't,' she said, not really meaning it. She wanted him to hold her, kiss her, crush her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be ok. 'Don't look at me, _please _and don't kiss me.'

'Why?' he barely got out the question.

'Because... I can't withstand your guilt as well as my own,' she confessed soulfully.

'You've nothing to feel guilty for. This wasn't your fault...' Bones screwed up her eyes, and rolled away from him. Seeing her crumple again, he whimpered, 'Oooh, Bones.'

'Don't say anymore. Leave me, go,' she pleaded, sounding as traumatised as she did that night when she'd pushed him off her, he recalled painfully.

'I can't, I _can't _leave you. I should _never _have left you...' He ignored her instruction this time. Walking around to the other side of the bed, he lifted the covers, climbing in to lay with her. She whimpered docile but deeply moved by his refusal to leave her alone. He held her tenderly, preciously close to his warm body.

Bones took a hasty ragged breath, as he surrounded her with all his empathetic limbs. Once they were together, he went on, 'Don't push me away, Bones, _please_,' he sobbed, holding her a little tighter. Both bodies trembled with their wracking tears. 'We have to do this together, get through this together.'

She shook her head. 'You're getting married, I'm leaving. It's all for the best,' she choked on the frightening words.

Booth had prepared what to say to her and how they were going to move on from this tragedy over night, but didn't get the chance as Paul tapped the door and came in.

Paul paused as he saw them cuddling on the bed, both weeping. 'I'm sorry to intrude, shall I come back later?' he asked gently. Bones turned her head to look at him, as Booth ignored him completely, but wiped her tears away tenderly, only having eyes for her.

'No, please, come in,' she said softly, then rested her head back on the pillow. Paul stood at the end of the bed, and picked up her charts, scanning them quickly. He put them back down, and smiled a little, pleased by her progress.

Paul said compassionately, 'Firstly, Temperance, Seeley, my sincere condolences for your loss.' Bones nodded, still looking into Booth. He saw her chin start to quiver again, seeing him still weeping. Booth placed his palm on her cheek, and pecked the drips away. Bones closed her eyes, feeling his tenderness and their joint sorrow.

'You will be a little tender for a few days yet and will bleed for a little longer, Temperance. I've made an appointment with your OBGYN for a week tomorrow. He would like to see you just to check things are settling back down.' Bones nodded a little, gritting her jaw. 'I just need to examine you, then you're free to go home.'

Bones rolled carefully away from her partner, and pulled herself up to a sitting position. Booth slipped out of the covers, and sat on the chair next to her, but refused to let go her hand. Bones looked to him, saying kindly, 'You can go, Booth.' He shook his head, gripping her hand a little tighter reassuringly.

'I'm not leaving you,' he softly insisted. Bones gulped her breath down, and dropped her head back to the beds headboard, staring into his red rimmed eyes.

Paul prepared himself to examine her while they had their gentle exchange. He said quietly, 'This won't take long, Temperance. Just relax if you can...' Paul lifted back the covers off her legs, and folded them neatly over her midriff. 'Ok, just lift your knees and let them drop open,' he instructed even more quietly. 'Great, thank you.'

Making up his mind, Booth stood instantly, then slipped onto the edge of the bed, holding her gaze rapaciously. Deliberately shielded her from what was being done to her, as he kissed her palm.

Bones couldn't suppress the tears that flowed when she realised what he was doing so gallantly and thoughtfully to protect her. She saw a flicker in his darkened jaw of repressed tension and compassion, in his eyes, her own soreness.

Paul spoke quietly, while examining her gently, 'I had the opportunity to read your history, Temperance. You're extremely fit, in the prime of your life and there's no clinical evidence to suggest this will happen again. I'm sure you're aware that spontaneous miscarriage is unfortunately very common in the early stages of pregnancy. However I would advise you wait a couple of months before you try to conceive again. And I know you don't even want to think about having sexual relations at the moment, so let your body tell you when the time is right to resume sexual intimacy.' Finishing his examination, and replacing the covers over her, he looked up to his patient. Paul saw the lovers stroking the other's faces with delicate finger tips, lost in each other's eyes, brow to brow. He wasn't sure they'd heard a word he said but wasn't going to hold it against the grieving pair.

'Seeley? You can take Temperance home now. Don't let her do anything strenuous for a couple of days. I prescribe; warm baths, healthy food, even a glass or two of wine, maybe a little fresh air and nothing more taxing then walks in the sun.' He saw Booth nod confirming he heard his instructions. 'I've written you up a prescription for pain relief, Temperance. You shouldn't need them after a couple of days though.' Bones glanced to him with a half smile, but then went straight back into her partners eyes. 'Miss Montenegro is outside with a change of clothes, shall I call her in?' Bones nodded again, taking a deep breath.

'Yes and thank you, Dr Lidner. For everything,' Bones said sincerely.

He nodded, offering her a gentle smile as he left them alone.

!

**Chapter XII Hearth And Home.**

Dr Brennan's apartment. Hours later.

Bones walked carefully past her partner as he held the door wide for her to enter her apartment. The first thing she saw was that the dining table was cleared of last night's plates and glasses. Her dearest friends had obviously been busy, she thought, touched. Remembering the events of last night, her exhausted eyes immediately snapped to where she'd fallen to see if any evidence remained of painful event. She could see none, then realised Booth was standing next to her, looking to where her eyes were focused. He slipped a warm palm onto the small of her back, and looked into her. She could see the muscles in his cheek flutter as he was trying desperately not to cry again.

'Do you want to sit, lay down, sleep?' he rattled off his caring suggestions nervously. They'd been almost silent in the car coming back from the hospital, as they knew this return was going to be difficult for both of them.

Bones contemplated her options for a few moments, needing to be alone for a while but not having the heart to tell him that. 'Bath, I think I'd like a bath.' She walked off towards her bedroom, leaving him stranded, casting him adrift, and hated herself for it.

Booth took a deep controlling breath, and walked after her. He wasn't going to let her shut him out, not now, not when she obviously needed him even if she didn't realise that yet. Her bedroom door was already closed but he tapped it gently, then pushed it open. The huge elegant chamber was empty of her. He looked right to her en suite, that door was closed too, almost. He could hear the thunderous gush of water filling her tub. He stood for a few moments deciding what to do. Thinking, as his eyes shimmed over the perfectly made bed; the thumbed, marked book on the nightstand and the neatly arranged dresser top. Then, remembering Paul's advice, he spun, and went back out to the kitchen.

Irrationally he paced wide over the spot where she'd fallen, and leant on the counter on his elbows, rubbing his aching face with his palms. Painful images of last night came crashing back to him, and he tried to rub them out of his eyes. Realising he had to do something positive, he stood straight, and thought practicalities. He opened her fridge, and peered inside it. Food, he thought, healthy food and drink. It was a step, a first step, he noted and got on with it.

!

Bones lay in the tub covered in aromatic foam, staring at her chrome faucet, and listened to the echoing, haunting silence inside her. She wasn't aware of how long she had been lost when something interrupted her melancholy. The oppressive quiet was gently broken by the melodic strings of the overture to one of her favourite operas playing on her music system. She relaxed on hearing the notes drift in through her bathroom door, and closed her eyes. It was just enough distraction to bring her outside herself and return her to the here and now.

That wasn't the only thing that drifted in, the aroma of food did too. She realised Booth was obviously cooking something in her kitchen. With her eyes closed now, she imagined what he looked like flitting around it. She couldn't help the miniscule smile that traversed her lips at the image that came to her.

As the soprano voice floated above the violin strings trill, she felt her shoulders relax even more, and reasoned it wouldn't be long before he joined her. She mused, probably with a tray of food for her, and more than likely a forced smile. She was right with one of those thoughts. He tapped the door gently a few moments later. Pushing it wide with his foot, he stood holding the tray but didn't have a discernable smile. 'Could you eat?' he asked nervously.

Bones nodded, and sat up a little straighter, the water sloshed in the tub unsettling her slightly. She watched him place the tray on the sinks long counter opposite her. 'I made pasta and cheesy sauce with veggies. I thought it appropriate, it goes with the music,' he said, sounding atrociously weak, and terrified she was going to tell him to leave again. Her heart tweaked under her sternum for his fear and worry. He turned with the plate in his hands, and attempted a smile but he fell way short of it.

Reaching for the offered plate, she managed to smile at him. He seemed to brighten a little, as he handed it to her. 'Thank you, Booth,' she said, a little stilted.

Noting she was looking at him curiously, 'What?' he asked.

'Something to eat it with?' she said sweetly.

'Oh! Sorry, course.' He jumped back to the tray to retrieve a fork, bringing over her glass of claret too, and placed it on the side of the bath in easy reach. Once he was sure she'd everything she needed, he said, awkwardly, stuffing his hands in his pockets, 'Right, I'll leave you to it then,' and turned to leave.

'Where you going, home?' she asked carefully, dreading his answer.

Pointing out of the door with his thumb, he grimaced cutely. 'I've gotta tidy the kitchen, looks like a bomb went off out there.' Bones huffed a little chuckle, shaking her head. He brightened too, delighted to see her laugh, albeit a little one that lasted a few heartbeats. 'I'll be back in a while, is that ok with you?'

'Yes. Thank you, Booth.' He nodded coyly, while grinning a little, and went. He pulled the door closed to ajar, as it had been, then felt a little smile trickle across his lips, hearing her hum as she consumed a forkful of pasta. That first step, he mused, had worked out well, now all they had to take was the next one.

!

Bones ate all of the unexpectedly tasty pasta he'd created, and drank her glass of wine. She took her time over it, and felt so much better for having a full stomach. However, as she dried herself, she realised she didn't want to be alone in her grief, not really. But she didn't have the courage to tell him she wanted and needed him to stay with her. As she knew she didn't have the right to, anymore than he could.

When she walked out with the tray into the kitchen, he was sat with his back to her on a stool around her island. She noted the kitchen was tidy and clean, and he tended a cooling mug of coffee in his palms. He was looking deep into it reflectively, and didn't hear her near.

She walked silently past him, and placed the tray on her work top, then began to clear her things to the dishwasher. 'I've got it,' he said, when he snapped out of his thoughts, getting off the chair quickly to take over.

'I'm not an invalid, Booth. I can clear a plate,' she said a little bluntly. As soon as the words were aired, she wanted to take them back, seeing his face crumple. 'I'm sorry,' she apologised immediately, feeling herself so ungrateful and callous. His dropped his eyes to his shoes, and shook his head, not needing her to apologise. 'This is such a mess, and it's all my doing, I...' she trailed off as his eyes met hers.

'I'm going home,' he interrupted firmly. Her heart stopped for a moment, scared suddenly. 'But I'll be back later. Will you be ok for a while?'

'You don't have to come back, I'm ok alone,' she said weakly, changing her weight on her bare feet nervously, desperate not to let him see her so vulnerable again, and close to losing what was left of her dignity.

Not replying, he spun away, grabbed his jacket, and closed her apartment door softly. She stared at the space he'd just vacated for several minutes, not wholly sure if he was indeed coming back at all, as he had no obligation to. And why should he return? she questioned. She'd ruined them as partners, probably broken him and Hannah up, and had lied to him for weeks. And worst of all, she had lost his baby.

!

**Chapter XIII Exit Stage Right.**

Booth ripped off his jacket, and threw it on his couch. A note fluttered off the table with the gush of air displaced by it. He picked it up to read the scrawled handwriting. Scrunching it in his palm, he tossed it, and walked into his bedroom not giving it another thought.

He raced around his room, pulling underwear, t-shirts and suits out of draws and cupboards, and slinging them on the bed. Walking into his bathroom, he grabbed his wash things, towels and anything he needed. Then he slung all that on his bed too. Filling two cases, and zipping them up, then he looked around his room. He could still smell Hannah clinging to the room. So he ripped off the sheets and pillow cases, rolled the lot together, and dumped them in the trash, rapidly disposing of that chapter of his life.

Booth sped up his pace again, trotting around his apartment grabbing this and that, then finally unplugged his plasma, and carried it down to his car.

Night had fallen by the time he'd filled the trunk with the essential of his life, then he ran back up the stairs, and took a last look around. He spotted the sunglasses Hannah had left next to the note, he knew they were Bones', so popped them into his jacket pocket. He closed the apartment door, and locked it.

Stupidly he ran a red light on his frantic ride back to Bones', his head so full of things to say to her, his concentration lapsing dangerously. The thump of his chest against the steering wheel when he slammed on his breaks to avoid a crash, broke his trance. The shouts; car horns and fists thrust at him out of windows, slowed him down and re-centred him again. Taking a deep calming breath, sending up prayer, and apologising to the angry motorists, he resumed his journey much more sedately.

Booth made two return runs to empty his car and bring up all his things. Before he opened her apartment door, he checked his watch. It was already way past ten and he felt he'd been away for a lifetime.

Opening the door quietly, he looked around. The lights were off and so was the music, he mused she'd clearly gone to bed. He didn't turn the lights on, but brought everything in with shoving knees and strong hands accompanied by stifled grunts. Closing the door carefully and silently, he set to work.

!

**Chapter XIV Resolution.**

Changed into his sleep attire of armless t-shirt and long navy sleep pants, Booth opened her bedroom door, and peered through the darkness to find her. He listened to her mortal sobs for a moment, his heart splintered all over again. He knew he'd been too long away from her and her grief was eating her hollow.

Walking to the bed, and standing beside it, he looked at her self-protecting foetal position. She wasn't unaware he was here for her. So he knelt down, and stroked her hair off her face tenderly to see into her eyes. She jolted slightly in shock, and snapped her eyes open.

'I'm sorry I was so long,' he apologised, weeping too now, and turning on her bedside lamp. The yellow hue from the lamp warmed the tones of her skin and made her blink.

Seeing the tissue box on her night stand, he pulled out a clump, and handed them to her as she said, 'You can't be here. You have to go back to her.' Booth knew they had to finish the conversation they'd started this morning, so began.

He started with the obvious, 'I'm not marrying her.' Bones grabbed a breath in anguish, scrunching herself smaller, and rolled away from him. That was what she'd tried so hard not to happen, she wanted him to be happy and have his 40 years with her.

Booth crept carefully under the cover with her, slid his leg over hers, and completely engulfed her in all his limbs, spooning her lovingly. 'Listen to me, _please _I'm begging you, listen, hear me out, ok?' He kissed the back of her head tenderly. She took a deep breath, and nodded a little, wiping her eyes and soggy nose with the tissues. She didn't have any other option but to listen, as she didn't have the energy for anything else right now.

With her silent agreement given, Booth climbed over her impeccably slowly, slipping carefully back around her so he faced her. Bones just registered that he'd traversed her body so gracefully and tenderly, which was remarkable for such a large man. He made her a gossamer nest of his body to settle into and feel safe against.

Face to face they stared into each other, their noses almost touching. Booth looked dishevelled and utterly heartbroken to her, a male reflection of herself. Her heart quaked with fear for what she'd done to him, and was putting him through now. 'Just listen to me, ok?' She felt his warm breath heat her up, and his even hotter body hold her tenderly. Her binary star was back and holding her in his peaceful gravity, she did feel safe, protected and lonely no more.

Booth began, 'Hannah and I wouldn't have made it, Bones. I didn't _know _with her...' Her eyes switched between his pupils to see inside his heart, he let her in willingly. 'When I got back to DC and home I made up _any _excuse so I didn't have to have sex with her. She tasted bitter to me and repulsed me. After I'd tasted you, touched you, I couldn't stand her to touch me or kiss me. I felt guilty for cheating on her, yes, but I don't regret anything, _nothing _we shared that night...' he said passionately, honestly.

Bones took a deep breath, and sighed it out, relieved to know that he felt the same as her. 'I _vow _to you I haven't had sex with her since we came back. And it's all over between us, Bones. I was breaking it off today anyway. I'd decided on Thursday after waking up and she told me I called out your name _again _in my dreams. I couldn't live the lie anymore. As it happens she finished with me first yesterday after...' Bones nodded, understanding that would have been inevitable in the circumstances, once Hannah knew what had transpired between. 'She left me a note. In it she confirmed what we both knew, that we'd never have lasted.'

Booth continued gently, 'I'm going to say some thing's you're not gonna like, but you _have _to know what's going on in my head right now.' Bones blinked to refocus, again still dumb and motionless. He held her a little tighter, as he said, 'You _can't _go, if you do, you'd kill me sure a putting a bullet in my brain. I'll come after you. I _swear _I'll follow you to the ends of the earth. You'll never be free of me...' His emotional eyes poured, but he didn't care or staunch them. She trembled in his embrace, deeply moved by his heartfelt statements, and wept with him.

He went on filling her brilliant turbulent mind with what he should have done that night, 'I stopped breathing when I left your side that night.' To his joy, she placed her trembling hand on his hip under the covers they were cocooned by. 'I've always known this, but our night confirmed it, you _are _my soul mate, the air I breathe, my heart beats with yours and always will... Make fun of me if you dare, Bones, but... I'm _certain _you believe it too.'

Bones rested her brow on his, and thumbed his tears off his cheek tenderly, not daring to challenge. Booth carried on, 'You're not going to sell this apartment. You _can't_, Bones, you love it, this is your _home _just like the Jeffersonian is. You're not leaving either place behind, you've no need to,' he begged her to agree, but not waiting for a reply, going on, stuttering with, 'If, if you stay, I can promise you everything we've dreamt of... I don't expect you to change your principles for me either, I don't _need _to be married to you. What I do need is you, just you.' Touched, Bones tipped her mouth towards his, and placed her lips on his briefly, nodding slightly.

'Your novel, Ange tells me you killed them off; Kathy and Andy, us.' Bones nodded again, sniffing, then wiping her nose cutely. 'That's not fair, it's cruel. We're _not _dead... Rewrite it, put them _together _then finish it if you want, but don't kill them off.'

Bones considered all he'd said, feeling her body relax in his nest as a blanket of peace slew over her. She could breathe in for the first time, in a long time. She blew out that cleansing breath into his face which batted his long lashes. He instinctually breathed that gust in, inflating his lungs with it, and came back to life.

As she looked over his face now, she saw his lips curl to smile, she queried his sweet enamoured expression, 'Why are you smiling at me like that?'

Booth kissed her lips softly, then rested his head on the plump pillow, staring into her. 'We were incredible, weren't we?' he said softly. Bones grinned slowly, obviously in complete agreement. 'So incredible that we made _life_,' he added with wide eyes.

Hers paled yet again, as she said forlornly, 'And I lost it.'

He shook his head, contradicting seriously. 'No, no.' Holding her cheeks in his palms, drilling his eyes into hers, 'You didn't lose our baby. It just wasn't our turn... But it _will _be one day,' he said, convinced of his premonition.

!

**Chapter XV Interesting Developments.**

Bones padded out of her bedroom quietly, leaving her still catatonic partner in her bed. She had a wisp of a smile on her lips, and felt utterly treasured, emotionally bludgeoned and tender but beginning to heal. Booth had held her all night. She recalled he'd kissed her brows, cheeks and lips tenderly as their grief washed over them again and again. He hadn't tried to stem their flow but let her shed every drop she needed to. She found his silent comfort unrelenting, unselfish and vital to her process. And when she finally fell to sleep, only then did he succumb too.

As she walked towards her kitchen to make tea, she diverted into the other bathroom. Then she halted as she saw his wash bag, toothbrush and paste on the sink's side, and several new towels over a rail. She wrinkled her brow, but didn't think that too strange, she thought logically, he would've required them last night. After she used the facilities, she went out to the lounge. She stopped halfway there, when she saw his plasma screen set up in the corner of the room. She snagged her head back, confused even more, then made her way to the kettle. As she filled it over the sink, she looked back over her shoulder to the TV, cogitating the significance of its arrival, then something else caught her eye. His cell was on charge on the counter top, and next to it was a box of porridge oats and a half bag of brown sugar. She dropped a hip. 'Huh,' she huffed.

As she put the kettle on to boil, she went to take out the milk from the fridge. In there she found; three packs of smoked bacon, an enormous slab of beef steak and quart of full fat milk, none of which she ever bought. Charmed by the evidence, Bones grinned, understanding what all that implied.

Closing the fridge door, she jumped, shocked, as Booth stood handsomely behind it. He was grinning at her, his hands clasped behind his back, with adorable bed hair. 'I've moved in,' he said audaciously, but covering that with an inflection of nervousness at his gall.

'So I see,' she said evenly, reaching for couple of mugs. Feeling her heart palpitate, she allowed herself the luxury of an inner smile.

As he didn't get a slap or any negative vibes from her, he smiled a little wider encouraged. Then he stood so close behind her she could smell his musky scent infuse her, and then his arms slid slowly around her waist, and held her tenderly again. The total ease and lack of hesitation of his affection affected her severely, she felt instantly liberated to be just as open with him.

He asked sweetly, 'Is that a problem?' She slowly turned in his arms to face him. He watched her caress his face with her gentle smile, and warm eyes. While her hands slid up to his chest, one palm went to his lips, as she watched her own fingers caress along the line of them. Then her eyes flicked to his. It was taking her a decade to reply, he thought anxiously.

Bones realised she hadn't missed a chance, as he hadn't given her the choice of one to miss or reject. He'd made the decision for both of them and she was humbly grateful. All that was left was to answer his question and they could begin again. 'Absolutely not.' Then she kissed him.

Booth had trouble keeping his knees locked out as she slipped inside him with her tactile sweet tongue. He whimpered pathetically, adolescently, adoringly. Booth took her glorious kiss as his wonderful welcome home gift. His lips followed after hers as she broke their kiss gently. Her luscious smile returned, and a sparkle in her iris twinkled at him. 'Tea?' she asked casually, turning around again. He nodded, resting his chin on her shoulder as she grew another two arms which helped her make breakfast too.

He seemed unable to let her go, and made himself a part of her. 'Let's go out for walk today. I want to walk,' she told him ordinarily. He nodded again, completely and utterly content. 'What day is it?'

'Dunno, Monday, I think. If it is, I've got Parker tonight. Shall we cook his fave and you can help him with his homework. I'm crap at long division and fractions.' Bones huffed a chuckle, and looked to him on her shoulder. He flicked her a cute glance. 'I know when I'm beat, Bones.' She sprinkled his face with sweet kisses, while he flipped the bacon sizzling in the pan.

!

**Chapter XVI Life Go's On If You Allow It.**

They'd eaten breakfast, walked around the sun-drenched park and then Bones had a nap on her couch in the afternoon, while Booth picked up Parker from school.

Booth came in the apartment to find her flicking through the newspaper, and something deliciously aromatic hung in the air. 'Hey, Parker. How are you?' she asked, getting off her chair to greet them. Booth kissed her lips instantly in greeting, which made her so happy, she flushed, embarrassed by how much.

Parker grinned charmingly, then whipping out a bunch of flowers from behind his back, and thrust them towards her, saying, 'I'm good. Are you feeling better?' Booth hadn't give him the details, he'd just said Bones had been ill and was recovering quietly at home.

'Much, thank you. Oh. Tulips, the essence of spring, _lovely_. Thank you again.' She took them, flicking her eyes to Booth as he winked at her surrepticiously.

'Dad says you two are together now. I'm _sooo _glad. I didn't like Hannah as much as you. I don't think she _really _liked kids,' he said, screwing his nose up a little. Bones bit back her chuckle at his intuitiveness, while flaring her eyes at Booth, putting the flowers in a crystal vase.

'So, are you hungry? Your Dad and I have made your favourite, mac 'n' cheese.'

'_Fan_-dabbi-dozee!' Bones looked puzzled for a minute at his peculiar exclamation, then started to laugh softly. Parker explained, sitting down with a flump on her couch, 'It's my new word, do-ya-like it?' he asked proudly. 'I think awesome is out dated now, _everybody _uses it. I'm starting a new trend.'

'Shoes off, Parker,' Booth instructed, while hugging Bones from behind as she put plates on the table. Then he whispered in her ear, 'He's crazy happy for us, Bones.' She grinned, delighted to hear that too.

Parker tried to get one over on the grown ups, knowing he wasn't allowed to watch TV till he'd eaten and done his homework. As he saw they were distracted with each other, or so he thought, he took his chance. 'Can I put my cartoons on?'

Booth grinned at Bones, then gestured with his hand towards Parker for her to make the decision and answer him. Booth was intrigued to know how she intended to handle the situation, and give her a role in his life. That didn't pass Bones by, she was touched her partner was sharing not only is life with her now, but his son too.

'Yes...' she said. Parker was poised to press the on button, but then she added, '_After _we've eaten and you've done your homework.'

'Ooooh. _Maaan_,' he pined loudly. He rolled his eyes, and slumped back to the couch, tossing the remote twitching in his hand. Booth chuckled, and hugged her more in congratulations. 'You're gonna be so strict, aren't ya?'

Bones walked out of Booth's embrace, and sat next to Parker on the couch, loving his pout. He flicked her a glance, still pouting. 'Sometimes yes. But I think you deserve a treat for bringing me those _lovely _flowers.' Parker brightened slightly, all ears now. 'After dinner and homework would you like to go skinny dipping?'

'What's skinny dipping?' Parker asked curiously, his brow crinkling.

'It's when you go swimming naked,' she explained sensibly, dead pan.

Parker gasped inwardly, completely shocked, and slightly horrified. Then he fell about the couch, laughing so hard he grabbed his belly. She looked over to Booth who gave her the thumbs up silently, grinning madly at her, completely smitten. Parker's chuckles began to subside a tad, when he said affronted, 'I'm not going skinny dipping with a _girrrl_!'

Bones corrected, and explained, 'Oh. No, Parker. I'm not going to swim naked with _you_, your Dad is.'

Booth lost his smile instantly. 'Hu. Wait, what? Hang on...' he blustered, losing his charismatic smile.

She explained to Booth, 'You're going to take Parker swimming tonight upstairs. You've not been for so long, and the pool is always empty after eight.' Then she looked to Parker. 'And skinny dipping is so _naughty _and fun. Besides you haven't got your swimwear. Half of the enjoyment is the thought that you might get caught, _naked_,' she said, deliberately flaring her eyes at Parker, who giggled at her mischievousness.

'You're perverse,' Booth said incredulously, reprimanding her. She stood, and pecked his jaw cheekily.

'I think she's _awesome_, no strike that, fan-dabbi-dozee!' Parker exclaimed, totally up for the scandalous adventure.

!

After an hour of letting father and son have time together, Bones went up to the fifth floor. She snuck up the corridor which led to the swimming pool on the roof of her apartment building. The florescent lights were off but the moon lit the water through the glass covered pool. It bathed them in silver light and made the scene look like a black and white movie from the thirties.

As she neared the double doors to the pool, she could hear Parker squealing with laughter for the fun he was having with his father. She could see Booth was standing on the edge poised to dive in, as she opened the doors. He looked over his shoulder with a terrified gasp, and leapt in, not sure who'd intruded. Parker went into hysterics, and nearly drowned with them. Booth spluttered to the surface, and swam to the edge, hiding his body from her, just in case it wasn't who he thought it was. She started to laugh too, as Parker joined his father clinging to the edge. Both faces were beaming generous smiles at her. She felt full and filled with glee that her idea made them so happy. She felt a twinge of guilt flicker across her face however, feeling she should still be grieving for their loss, and shouldn't be so happy so soon. Booth saw it, and lost his smile a little, empathising.

Parker unknowingly interrupted their wordless exchange. 'Bones, this is fantastic! Can we do it again sometime?' Parker gushed, wiping his eyes of swim water.

'Anytime, Parker,' she told him sweetly. Then picking up all their clothing and towels, she winked at him, and walked back out of the double doors and away.

'Bones! Hey, _Bones!_' Parker yelled after her, terrified he was going to have to go back to the apartment naked and in the elevator too. Booth pushed off the side of the pool, and lay flat, laughing, completely unconcerned by her stealing their clothes. 'What's she doing?' Parker asked, looking around to his father floating on the water.

'Don't sweat it, Little Man. She'll be back.'

'I don't think so!' Parker bayed. Booth suddenly looked to him, and lost his smile completely. His son's eyes looked wide and startled yet hopeful his father was right.

Booth grinned. 'Come on then, let's make a _dash _for it.' Rubbing his son's wet hair, he added, 'It's time for bed anyway.'

!

Bones left her apartment door open wide, and sat on the couch, and read a book while she waited. The elevator doors pinged and she pricked up her ears.

'Good night, Mr Trott,' she heard Booth say fairly calmly to her building superintendent. 'Sorry 'bout the puddles...'

Bones began to giggle at the comedic image his bashful tone conjured up for her. She didn't look up as thundering footsteps neared. A small dripping lad clutching his privates, belted past her squealing with laughter again, hotly followed by Booth. Covering his substantial manhood, Booth scolded her theft, as he too whipped by her, 'I can't _be-lieve _you did that!'

She turned her head, to watch Booth's buttocks disappear into the bathroom, then returned to her book, still grinning smugly. Moments later she felt his lips kiss her cheek, instantly she lifted her hand to his wet hair, as he nuzzled into her neck from behind. She closed her eyes, grinning. 'I love you,' he whispered in her ear. Her breath caught, her eyes clouded and then he was gone again. Her face was wet not from tears but from chlorinated water he'd left on her, and she felt neat exhilaration course her body, like she'd just been injected with Epinephrine.

!

Twenty minutes later.

Parker came out in one of his dad's t shirts and a towel wrapped around his hips. He sat beside her with a huge smile, she matched it, looking into his charmed face. He leant in, and kissed her cheek sweetly. 'That was so cool. You're coolest person I've ever met. And I've never seen my Dad laugh so much or be this happy.' He got closer, and laid his head on her chest carefully, a little shyly, she thought. Bones put her arm around him, and gave him a little squeeze.

'Thank you, Parker. That means a great deal to me.' He nodded on her chest. Booth caught their gentle exchange, and saw them cuddled on the couch, and his chest tightened, he was so moved by that image.

Regrouping, Booth offered, 'Drink anyone?' walking into the kitchen. They both looked around, and smiled warmly at him.

Parker said sleepily, 'Milk for me please, Dad.'

'Tea, please,' Bones said, just as softly as Booth whispered those gigantic words in her ear earlier. Booth felt the moved inflection in her tone and they shared a brief but understanding smile.

Booth said with gently authority to his son, 'After this, bed, Little Man, ok?'

'Sure, Dad,' he said sleepily. Bones didn't think Parker would last through a whole glass of milk as he was almost asleep on her already.

Booth came over, and placed the drinks on the coffee table. Looking to his son struggling to keep his eyes open, Booth shook his head, and smiled at Bones. 'He's _very _comfortable on you.' Bones grinned, and nodded to agree.

Parker fluttered his eyes open, and reached for his glass. He swigged it down thirstily, then sank back into her warm cuddle. 'That's it, bed.' Booth went to pick him up off her but Parker nuzzled into her a little more, reluctant to leave her warmth.

'I want to stay here. Bones is so soft, isn't she, Dad?' he said innocently, yawning with his eyes closed.

Booth looked into her, and smiled, 'Yeah, she is.' Booth scooped him off her, and carried him to the spare room without any protest from Parker.

She said softly, 'Sweet dreams, Parker.'

'Night, night, Bones,' she heard Parker whisper back.

Bones sipped her tea till Booth came back, and he settled against her as softly as a snowflake, just as his son had done. She stroked his hair absently, while she read her book. Booth slipped down her body, and laid his head gently on her lap, facing inwards. He kissed her abdomen every now and then as if kissing her all better there. Bones folded up her book, unable to concentrate on it, not really wanting to read about bones striations any longer. She had better things to concentrate on now, and looked into his relaxed radiant face. He flickered his eyes open, and smiled up at her.

'How special is this?' he asked rhetorically. Her smile grew bigger, and her eyes sparkled, delighted he thought so too. She was just thinking the same thing. If this was how they were going to spend the rest of their lives, they would have taken it.

!

**Chapter XVII Reclaiming The Old Life.**

Dr Brennan's and Agent Booth's Apartment. Three weeks later.

'So, how's it going?' Ange asked, as she took a heavy seat, twisting to get herself comfortable. Bones placed an ice tea in front of her. She saw Bones grinning.

'Fine, _really _good. Booth went back to work a week ago, as you're aware. I have to push him out of bed most mornings. He seems extremely unenthusiastic to leave my side. Probably because he says he finds me so soft,' Bones postulated, with a charmed grin, as she recalled his grunts and reluctance to leave her warm embrace.

'I don't doubt it.' Ange grinned as wide as her friend.

'I've had my check up, all went well with that. Oh. And Parker stayed last weekend and when Rebecca came to pick him up, she was delighted that Booth was cohabiting with me. Parker had said some lovely things about us, and she was very relaxed about our situation. She was also very sympathetic to me, which I found endearing. She brought me some flowers, see?' Ange nodded, looking at them then back to her.

'Dad and Russ have been regular visitors too, and they've also helped Booth clear his apartment and transport most of it over here.' Bones gestured around the apartment. Ange grinned hard, seeing a few of his personal effects scattered around. 'We've sorted ourselves out financially too.' Ange looked surprised by that development, as she watched Bones pick up her tea and take a sip. 'I showed him my net worth, he nearly had a seizure. Haa,' she laughed softly, shaking her head, remembering. 'I insisted that he _only _gives me the average of what he spent on rent and utilities over the last year. He wanted to contribute more but I told him I wouldn't accept it. He grumbled for a few days but finally had to come around. What else? Umm,' she thought out loud, looking into space, trying to think.

'Have you decided when you're coming back to work?'

'Yes, tomorrow.' Ange smiled, not surprised that she would want to get back into the swing. 'I'm a little anxious about it actually but I've spoken to Booth about my concerns, and he's been very supportive and understanding. Cam sounded delighted I was returning and Dr Sweets has given us special dispensation to continue to be partners, based on our exceptional crime solving record. With the proviso we keep our romantic involvement low key.'

Ange knew all of that, and smiled comfortingly. 'How are you coping with having big man Booth around constantly?'

Bones' smile grew exponentially as the seconds ticked by before she answered. Ange thought she looked stunningly beautiful suddenly. 'I'm coping very well.'

'Haa! That's an understatement if _ever _I've heard one! You're _loving _it, aren't you?' Bones covered her teeth with her lips to stop her smile from splitting the corners of her mouth, instead it blossomed in her eyes.

Bones wanted to know about Ange, so asked, eager to hear, 'Enough about me and Booth, how are _you _doing?' Ange flapped her hand dismissing her question, and rolling her eyes. Bones could see she was clearly fed up with waddling like an emperor penguin, and feeling like an over inflated balloon.

'I'm ashamed to say I'm _pissed _off, Bren, and I know how _insensitive _that sounds, but it's true. I feel so uncomfortable and the Braxton Hicks are keeping me from sleeping. I'm _snappy _all the time, I hate Jack and everything he says or does to make me feel better. My breasts are aching, I'm peeing constantly, I haven't seen my toes for a month. And I'm sure my arse is as big as this,' said, while pointing to her bump. 'I don't even dare look at it.'

Bones grinned, then laughed much to her relief at not being offended by her comments. 'You've only got a couple of weeks to go. Booth would say, suck it up, in the vernacular.'

Ange looked like she was going to bite her head off. 'Just you wait when your turn comes around...' She wagged a finger at her, then she twitched again, changing buttock cheeks.

As Ange had stopped mid-sentence when Bones dropped her smiling eyes from hers, and said softly, 'One has to have intercourse to get pregnant.'

'You haven't yet?' Ange asked a little surprised. Bones shook her head, and gave her a slight grin. Then she added sympathetically, 'I expect you've not been feeling up to it.'

Bones sat back, and crossed her legs, saying, 'Actually, I'm ready to re-engage our physical relationship but I believe Booth is re...' she trailed off when Ange grabbed her bump, and gasped, rolling in the chair trying to get comfortable again. Bones' eyes lit up, and she got off her chair instantly. She placed her hand on her bump to feel the baby kick, Ange thought. 'Ange?'

'Yes?'

'I think you're in labour,' Bones said calmly. 'That was a contraction, let's time them.' Ange looked stunned at her, as Bones placed her hand lower on her bump, and looked to her Rolex in silence for a moment. Bones watched the seconds tick round.

'But I've still got... Oww! Jeeze-usss,' Ange groaned, then blinked constantly as the wave of pain persisted, squirming on her chair. She stared into Bones' face seeing it blossom again. Ange began to relax as the pain subsided. Bones took her hand off her, and picked up her cell off the coffee table. 'Who you calling?'

'Your husband, your contractions are two minutes apart. I'm ringing to tell him we'll meet him at the hospital.' Ange still looked dumbstruck. 'Have you been urinating frequently?' Ange nodded fast. 'Since when?'

'Since the day before yesterday. Why?'

'I expect the reason you've been so uncomfortable is you went into labour then. You're amniotic fluid is leaking and you mistook it for needing to urinate regularly. Your labour started slowly and quietly and gradually built up unnoticed. You just suspected it was natural to feel like this near the end. It's common to miss the indicators... Jack? Tempe.'

'_Oh. Hi, Dr Bee, what can I do for you for my favourite anthropologist?_'

'Ange is with me _and _in labour. I'm taking her to the hospital by car now. Meet us there and don't be long, her contractions are two minutes apart. Did you hear me?'

'_Yes, yes, I'm on the way._' Bones grinned, hearing the excitement in his voice, and he cut off the call.

'Right, let's go, time for you to have your baby, Ange.' Bones looked back to her, beaming a reassuring smile. Ange nodded, starting to puff.

!

**Chapter XVIII Arrivals Hall.**

Thankfully an agitated Jack was waiting for them with a wheelchair when they arrived and Ange was taken via it, straight into the delivery suite. Ange was extremely relieved to see him, Bones noted, as she stood back, and watched them wheel off to become parents.

'Bren! Bren, I want, Bren!' Ange shouted suddenly over her shoulder. Bones wrinkled her brow on hearing her call for her, and trotted beside her.

'What is it, Ange?' Ange grabbed her hand, staring up into her eyes.

'Be with us,' she implored.

'Yes, be with us, _please_,' Jack insisted too.

Deeply touched, Bones nodded. 'Ok, go, I'll be a few minutes, _go.' _Bones pulled her cell out, and hit speed dial 1. 'Booth?'

Booth spoke casually unhurried, but delighted to hear from her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. 'Oh. Hey, Bones. I was just about to call ya. We need milk, yeah? I'll pick some up on the way home. Everything ok?'

Bones explained at pace, 'Yes, yes fine, listen I'm at the hospital...'

Booth interrupted her with, 'Oh. Shit, what's happening? Are you ok? Tell me, tell me,' He sounded completely panicked to her.

'Yes, yes I'm perfectly healthy, Booth. It's Ange, she's having her baby and they want me to be with them. So I won't be at home when you get ho...'

'I'm coming! I'm coming!' he shouted excitedly, not wanting to miss out on the special occasion. Bones chuckled at his urgency to join her.

'Ok. I'll see you in a while then.' Bones ended the call, looking through the round window of the delivery suite. She took a deep breath which lifted her shoulders. Then, putting her personal sorrow finally behind her, she walked in the room with a fresh smile to start a new chapter of her life.

!

Fifty seven minutes later.

Bones saw Booth come trotting into the corridor, looking left then right to her. He was holding a huge bunch of flowers; two gaudy balloons, one blue, one pink, just to be safe, and under his arm, a sweet yellow teddy bear. He also held a huge smile, when he saw Bones leaning on the wall outside the suite.

She looked to him, laughing a little at his over doing the congratulatory gifts. She walked towards him, with her eyes locked on his. 'A girl, a _beautiful _girl, _eight _pounds three ounces, perfect, she's _perfect_,' she told him with her moved tears now leaking down her cheeks. Those tears she'd held on to till she saw him. Booth snapped his arms around her, while she did the same to him, and buried her face in his fragrant warm neck.

'Is Ange ok?' He felt her nod on him, and hold him a little tighter. 'Are _you _ok?' he asked compassionately. She nodded again, energetically. 'Does the new arrival have a name yet?'

Bones looked into his eyes as he kissed her tears away. 'Yes. It's, Sweetie Pie Lilly Crystal-Ann Montenegro-Hodgins.' Booth snagged his head back, and grimaced deeply, while she palmed his strong back under his silver grey suit.

'Christ, there's no accounting for taste, is there? Poor _little _thing,' he said wistfully, looking off into space, fearing for her school years. Bones' face blossomed like the flowers in his hand. Then she started to laugh at him, not able to keep the joke going any longer. 'Bones? You're _such _a tease. You really had me going then,' he chastised, but loving her being so playful.

'Ha. I'm sorry I couldn't resist. They're naming her, Vanessa Tempe Montenegro.' Booth grinned, touched as much as she obviously was.

'Can we get a cuddle with little Nessa?' he asked softly, already giving her a nickname and she hadn't been out of the womb ten minutes. Bones stroked down his jaw with her warm palm, and kissed his lips, resting them there for a few seconds.

'Let's ask, shall we?' Booth flared his eyes, nodding excitedly.

They looked through the suite window together, cheek to cheek, both begging entry with their eyes. Jack and Ange chuckled on seeing their noses squashed up against the window, and waved them in to share their joy.

!

**Chapter XIX Give And Take.**

Three days later.

Booth turned off the TV, and looked to his partner sat at her table surrounded by files, and her laptop which she was frantically tapping. He rolled off the couch, and crawled on his knees over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and looked to what she was writing. He saw it was Jeffersonian business, and sighed. 'Come on, bed, you've been at that for hours now.' She kissed his head quickly, but carried on typing.

'You go, I'll be ten minutes behind you.'

He nuzzled into her neck, kissing it a few times, saying against her warm fragrant throat, 'Don't fib, Bones. You'll be another hour. God _knows _how you function with four hours a night,' he said incredulously.

She explained, 'Mind over matter.' Kissing him again, on the lips this time, she smiled, delighted by the tender affection he always gave her even when she was engrossed. 'I've got so much to catch up on. Go to bed.'

'It _is _officially the weekend, Bones, Friday night remember? We clocked off six hours ago,' he reminded, standing up, knowing he wasn't going to distract her when she was in this kind of manic work mode. When he sighed, and sagged his shoulders, she felt bad, and stopped typing.

'You're right, sorry,' she apologised softly. 'I'm gonna have a bath first then I'll be in, promise.' She smiled at him to cement her pledge.

He stretched his back out, pushing his arms high into the air, warning, 'If you're not beside me in an hour, I'll, I'll...'

Bones grinned, watching him yawn, challenging him cheekily. 'You'll what? What will you do?'

Booth hitched up his pyjama bottoms that had slipped down his slim hips as he'd stretched, giving her a sexy glimpse of his thin wispy pubic extension. Bones felt the sensuous woman in her reawaken suddenly. He began to walk away, missing that he'd inadvertently pushed a few of her buttons. 'Haven't decided, but whatever it is, you won't like it,' he shot back just as playfully.

She huffed a chuckle. 'H'ok. Noted. Hey, Booth?' He picked up his empty beer bottle off the coffee table, and walked into the kitchen.

'Yep?' He stilled, turning his head to her, as he put his bottle in the recycle box.

'Let's go out tomorow night for dinner, or do something at least.'

He brightened instantly at her suggestion. 'Really, you wanna?' Bones reached into the back pocket of her jeans, as he started to check that the apartment door was locked and chained.

'Of _course_; matinee, dinner, maybe a little jazz or possibly... the Red Socks semi final against... who is it now?' Bones held up two tickets to the game in her fingers, and looked over her shoulder to him. Booth's jaw hung as he registered her words. He snapped his eyes to the tickets she held up tantalizingly, and waggled slightly.

'Hoo-ly Mother Mary.' He was at her side again instantly. She thought his expression was akin to him winning the State lottery. Taking them from her fingers, he looked them over in awe. 'How did you get hold of them?' He didn't really care how she got them, the question was moot clearly, as he had the gold dust in his hand. She smiled hard, seeing how happy she'd made him. Her heart fluttered as in his elation he was attacking her mouth with hungry grateful kisses, and she laughed throatily being so lusciously manhandled. When he stopped the assault, she stood.

Shutting down her laptop, she started gathering her files together. 'My publisher offered me them a couple of days ago. So I thought, why not. You can teach me the _finer _points of this sporting contest you so enjoy, and feed me junk food all evening,' she said sarcastically.

'God, Bones I'm so excited I could, could...'

'Urinate?' she offered, as he jiggled about like he was standing on hot coals. He nodded gleefully, then hugging her from behind as she cleared away her homework.

'Haa. Yeah,' he agreed, planting one last kiss on her lips. Letting her go, he wandered off to their bedroom, ogling at the precious tickets in his hand.

'Run me a bath, could you? I've just a few things to finish off out here.' She saw him nod and disappear.

!

Bones lay in her deep bubble bath he'd kindly prepared for her, with a silly grin on her face. Bones felt they'd slipped into domestic life effortlessly and comfortably. They still bickered at work as before but when they got inside the apartment, they left all that on the doormat. It was an unwritten or unspoken rule that their home was their sanctuary.

The bath was surrounded by tea lights that he'd lit, making the space mood-relaxing and it felt very romantic. She loved it when he did little unexpected things like this for her. She recalled the other day he got up extra early and brought her a simple breakfast in bed. He did it so humbly and dismissive of her touched gratefulness. And a couple of days before that, he'd read her to sleep sweetly. Another evening when they lay cosily on the couch, he gave her a lovely foot massage while he watched a sporting event, and she dozed. Also he'd text her often during the day if they weren't together, simple things he'd write like; _let's have fries with dinner tonight _or _missing ya smile. _Then there was; _meet me at the cart in ten. _And the favourite one she got regularly at different times; _XX, _and nothing else in the body of the text message.

Bones pondered that when they returned home he wouldn't mention the cute messages he'd sent or need to hear if she enjoyed receiving them. It was plain to her he didn't need that reassurance and if she told him to stop sending them, he wouldn't anyway. Not that she ever would as she loved being reminded that he was thinking of her during their working day. She snorted a little chuckle, remembering the other day she was hunched over some tedious paperwork, and she received a text from him three meters away. She hadn't realised he had sent it to her as he was talking casually to Jack at his station. It read, '_Love you, Bones X.' _She'd snuck him a glance, and could see a devilish smile on his lips. She knew he was trying to distract her from the mundane tasks and make her smile. Which she did generously at him, then all the way to the end of her report.

She recalled their quiet evenings together too. She knew he adored it when she'd pull him over her like a blanket, and they'd make out innocently for hours on her couch like teenagers. It was then that they'd make up for their lack of physical contact throughout their working day. Although they slept and lived together, it was as if they were still dating, she mused. Booth never instigated anything more intimate at those times, even though his erection was always solid from the moment she slipped her lips over his. She understood he was waiting for her to be ready to take the next step.

Remembering now the darling look on his face when she'd surprised him with the tickets, she sighed, completely content. Pleased she was able to give a little of those tenderness's back. Giving was always better than receiving, she ruminated.

Feeling the water starting to cool, and seeing the candles burning out, she looked to her watch. It was late and she'd been way over the hour she promised. She dried off, and cleaned her teeth. Quietly she re-entered their bedroom, hoping she didn't awaken him. She stopped still as she saw through the darkness that he was most definitely still awake.

He had his hand under the covers and all were going up and down, and she heard a stifled guilty groan of pleasure from him. She realised what he was doing, and felt suddenly very relieved. She knew he hadn't pleasured himself for some considerable time and like a lightening bolt hitting her, she felt herself surge with arousal. It was probably the most erotic thing she had witnessed. His neck was arched; his legs were splayed, his eyes closed, and he bit his lip to stifle his moans. Clearly he was trying to hurry before she came to bed, not wanting her to know what he'd done.

Having a flashback to their first night, she understood what he must have felt like hearing and seeing her doing the same. Her impulses to join him were overwhelming and powerful, she didn't fight them. Her mind and body were ready and had been for a few days now.

Bones walked to the end of the bed stealth-like, her breathing becoming deeper. 'You're masturbating,' she stated, noting she sounded a little strained. He nearly had a coronary, she thought, as he froze, and glared at her.

'_Jesus_, sorry, sorry.' He begged forgiveness of her so sweetly she wanted to weep. 'I'm sorry, forgive me, I... I...' She could hear the shame in his voice crack his words.

'Don't stop,' she instructed softly, interrupting him.

'Wa, what?'

'I said,' she oozed sensuously, untying her kimono, and letting it slip to puddle on the floor around her feet. 'Don't stop, please continue, Booth.' His eyes widened looking startled, as she stood proud and naked at the bottom of their bed. She pulled the covers slowly off him.

'Shall I?' He saw her nod her confirmation, as she pulled at his pants waistband. 'Oh. Bones, really?' he whined his question but it sounded more like a grateful thank you to her for her non-judgemental instruction. She smiled reassuringly, and climbed over him to straddle his shins.

'Yes. I'd like to watch you,' she confirmed unashamed. Seeing him swallow nervously, but grip his shaft firmly, he began again hesitantly. 'That's it, Darling. Please, don't rush, nice and slow,' she encouraged generously, while trailing her finger tips up his thighs to his hips and back down again. She revealed in the tension in his muscles which defined them handsomely. He groaned again, feeling his loins tightening back up rapidly. She could smell his sexual aroma fill her senses and tingle at her yoni. 'You're so sexy, Booth. This is very arousing. Were you visualising us together?'

'Oh. God, Bones, yes, _yes_, course,' he confessed willingly. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she watched him jerk off slowly. Her dainty hands pushed up his thighs onto his stomach then higher to his taut pecs, and she squeezed them in her palms. 'Fuck, that feels good.'

'It does,' she confirmed innocently, but to him it was far from so naive. 'Keep going, don't stop,' she whispered against his lips as she hovered over him, turning on the bedside lamp. He blinked, startled, as she was thrown into subtle watercolour. He grunted, and began to pump his hips a little. 'You tasted so sweet to me, will you again?' she asked, cocking a terribly sexy brow at him.

'Bones, I'm gonna blow a gasket if you keep talking.'

'Umm. I hope so. I'm so wet, you make me so wet. Look, I'm dripping.'

'Arrh,' he growled. He tossed his head, then captured her mouth, and kissed her passionately, while pumping himself viciously. Bones slipped her fingers along herself, and brought them to his lips, then broke the kiss. She could feel the heat rise from his groin heating up her yoni, and making her pelvis roll with the sensations pooling there.

'You've been so patient with me, I've felt no pressure from you either. You deserve a treat.' Bones then slipped back down his body, pushed his throbbing organ into her mouth without ceremony, while placing her wet fingers into his mouth. Booth came off the bed as he sucked achingly at her honey slicked fingers, and felt her divine suckling of him.

Booth felt his lights going out as he slipped into the dark dirty place before she tossed him into the blinding pure light. Unable to stop himself from bucking into her impossibly soft mouth, he whined, warned and whimpered, 'Make-me-come, Bones-ya-making-me-come. Coming. Ooooh. I'm commm-ing.' He looked down as she purred sultrily, doing as he so eloquently urged. He blew fast and approaching painfully hard.

To his stunned amazement this was better than the last time she pleasured him this way, and he didn't think that would have been possible. Her attentive free fingers were wrapped around the base of his cock, and her thumb looped around a ball, squeezing hard. All the while her tongue pushed on his most sensitive area, holding his crown against her smooth palate. Her extraordinary semen-stemming lock stayed firm till he felt the last powerful contractions subside, which he wheezed through.

Bones sucked off his almost purple tinged cock, and began a leisurely meandering self-indulgent lick up his torso. She stopped to pamper herself on his flat erect nipples, nibbling on them cutely. He chuckled when she attempted to suckle one, making an amusing slurping sound. She grinned, flicking her eyes up to his. His hands smoothed her thighs tenderly, as she lapped up the perspiration he'd oozed at the base of his neck. 'I feel like an ice cream,' he said jovially, still trying to catch his breath.

'Humm. You taste as delicious as one to me,' she said honestly, continuing thereafter to bite soft kisses along his jaw then to his ear. He was still quivering from his ball-breaking climax, and caressing her hot flesh of her back, when she whispered considerately, 'Are you uncomfortable, Booth?'

Booth grinned, shaking his head, kissing her lips delicately. He looked into her with complete awe. 'You're a sensual phenomena, Bones.' She grinned vampishly, then positioned his atrociously hard organ on her sweltering labia.

Booth panicked, knowing what she wanted now, and fumbled to reach for and open his nightstand draw. 'Oh. Bones? Wait, hang on...' He tried to roll to her other side now, realising he couldn't reach either draw. 'I've got some con, con-doms...' he trailed off, as she held his cheeks firmly in her palms. He froze, looking into her brimming eyes as she speared him inside her slowly. 'Oh, oh, oh, Bones,' he extolled, holding her hips. Overwhelmed by the severity of pleasure at being connected again, they both strained not to weep. Booth was up holding her close, as she nestled her head onto his shoulder. He felt her soft hands hold him preciously.

Booth was the first to say anything coherent other than soft moans or enchanted sighs. 'We should use something, Paul said we should,' he muttered, concerned that they may conceive and go against doctor's orders. She kissed along his shoulder, up his neck to look into him. 'Are you ok, am I hurting you, do you feel any pain?' he rambled his anxious questions, stroking her hair off her face.

Bones thought he looked terrified of what she'd done. 'Ssshhhh.' Placing her fingers over his lips to quieten him and relax him, she smiled serenely. 'Please, it's ok. I want to feel you.' Curling her long supple legs around him, he drew his around her too, then lifted her onto them gently so he wasn't so deep inside her, but enough to satisfy her. Both parties stilled, and just took comfort from each other for a few minutes, neither moving.

Booth placed his palm on her stomach between them, then thumbed her little bud gently. 'Better and better,' she whispered over his shoulder. Booth felt her core begin to squeeze him hesitantly, and she rolled her hips very slowly against him. 'I'm scared to climax, Booth,' she confessed suddenly, shocking him. He stopped kissing and caressing her, hearing her sound so frightened.

'There's no rush, Bones take a long as you need. I could make love like this forever.' She was already shaking her head, and pecking his lips sweetly, resting her brow on his. 'I've not understood, have I?' he said sadly.

'No. I meant with you inside me, I don't want to feel any pain, I'm anxious I might because of...' Booth knew she meant after her medical procedure. 'I want to, believe me, I do but...'

'Shhh. Just relax, Bones.' He gripped her close lovingly, and rolled her onto the mattress under him.

'I thought I could, I'm sorry,' she apologised again sincerely, as he withdrew slowly and carefully from her. They both sighed as they lost the connection and glorious mutual sensation. He smiled, pecking her lips with a plan already forming in his considerate mind.

'Don't you apologise,' he instructed firmly, kissing down her throat to that zone that made her croon lusciously last time. She snatched a breath now as he sucked it sweetly. 'Humm. Lovely, I enjoy that.'

'I know,' he said, flaring his cheeky eyes at her, and did it again. 'And _this _one.' He went to the next erogenous zone on her neck, and bit softly at it, then swirled his wet lips around it, while his fingers tweaked a pert nipple. She was purring again, her legs began to splay slightly, while her pelvis rocked against the under sheet. 'Now,' he said. 'I think I found one _here_,' sounding softly playful. He nibbled along the underside of her right breast, and Bones brought her knees up at little, and rumbled like a distant summer storm.

Booth knew he was on the right track and was getting closer to what he'd been yearning for nearly five months; a little taste of honey. Hopefully, he thought naughtily, he could get a hive full. His cunning plan was working perfectly, he mused.

'Oh. Booth wonderful, more, please.' Her body wriggled, and rose to his lips and warm agile tongue. He obliged readily but not letting her settle too much, and went a little lower to her rippling hips. He mouthed very wet kisses around her navel, and she gripped his hair in her fists. 'Fuck yeah,' she exclaimed suddenly, he couldn't help but smile at her rare expletive, emboldened by it. And when he licked out her navel, she nearly took off the bed, snapping her legs around his torso. Booth unhooked her legs from around him, and deliberately palmed her thighs wide. She looked positively resplendent to him and close to combusting.

'Hold _very _still,' he commanded with the utmost tenderness, as he trailed the tip of his tongue down the side of her triangle. To his amazement she did as ordered, but quivered under him with a strangled whimper that made his balls constrict viciously. He could smell her fragrant undiluted arousal, see her awash with her essence and her swollen ruby bud throbbing under its little hood. He braced her to the bed with his strong hands. She held her breath, staring frenziedly at him when he flicked his eyes up to hers between her solid breasts. He slowly opened his mouth sliding out his eager roguish tongue. He could see her glaring at his slippery tongue, and her thoughts turn pornographic, just like his had done earlier.

Thumbing her lips wide, he laid his tongue on her, then sucked on that crux. His beautiful lover and eternal soul mate splintered, burned and imploded with eye watering ecstasy. Slapping her hands to his head, she turned savage, rubbing herself into his mouth, rearing up and twisting her pelvis in painless agony as the sweet welcome torture persisted.

Booth wanted to blaspheme now, and wail his triumphant exaltations but was too distracted by his liquid reward. He wolfed down her honey like a dehydrated Arab finding a long sought oasis. Not quenching his thirst yet he murmured for more, lapping her through that climax and her next.

Discovering now she felt no pain during orgasm, her reservations dissipated. Bones dragged him off her by his hair, and pulled him over her, up her body. 'Take me, Booth, in me,' she implored him. Before she got out the last _me, _he was deep inside her again_, _not needing to be ordered twice.

They both froze to the heart-stopping sensation, and snatched deep lung-fulls of sex laden crucial air. Then they groaned so loudly, simultaneously, they began to laugh at each other, with each other.

Laughing and kissing passionately, they began to move slowly together. 'I think you needed that as much as me, Seeley,' she said his name bashfully, but she saw he adored her saying it now, when they were being intimate.

Booth realised she was setting a cute precedent for them, so reciprocated immediately, 'You're right, I've been going _crazy_, Tempe. Waking up with this _enormous _stiffy every morning. Cos ya smell all Bonesy; look treacherously beautiful when you snuffle awake on my chest with your hair is all tossed. If it wasn't for your sweet kisses I don't know what I would have done. They just took the edge off my DT's.' His gushing venerations amused her but touched her just as deeply.

'Aww, Seeley,' she purred, caressing his face feather light. Then wittily, 'You can satisfy your delirium tremens anytime, far be it from me to deny your drug of choice.' Booth chuckled, thumbing her brows, then changing his hips angle slightly. Bones batted her eyelashes at the delicious sensation that caused, and quickened her pace and technique slightly.

'Please don't do that, I'm so close to losing it, Tempe.'

'Losing what?' she said wryly, knowing exactly what he meant however.

'Stop, I'm not kidding ya,' he warned again.

'Lose it, Seeley,' she urged. 'If you're reluctant to climax without me, I'll orgasm too.' She slipped her hand between them, and began massaging her bud.

Horrified by pleasuring herself while with him, he chastised, 'Stop that! I'll do it.' He shifted to pull her hand out.

'Ha. Seeley, I know you are proud male but this is wholly unnecessary.' Continuing to stimulate herself as he struggled to take over.

'_I'm _your lover, stop it!' he bitched, deeply insulted and shocked.

'Tsk. Are we going to argue about this?'

Bones drew her hand away, and let him continue, seeing him so insistent. 'Yes, it's _my _privilege to make love to you. When I'm not around you can but when we're together I make you orgasm, got it?' He was adamant and she couldn't help from giggling at his serious expression and macho demand.

In went his fingers and he began to stimulate her just as well as she would have done. 'Look, see, I can do it.' He grinned attractively, his ego spilling out all over her.

She sung her amusement, 'Haa!' Then cooing her overflowing joy, 'Aww. Seeley, I love you so much it's _obscene_.' Booth stilled instantly, and snapped his eyes back to hers, staring at her as if hypnotised by her words. She spoke a little softer, losing her laughter, seeing him so awestruck, 'I do, I _love _you, I love you_._'

Booth didn't deny her this time to express her feelings or emotions. He wanted to hear them, he needed to. He didn't realise how much he did till this moment of confirmation.

Sliding her hand between them to encourage him to continue, she smiled deeply. 'I love when you kiss me unexpectedly... I _love _when you send me those sentimental texts.' He grinned wider slowly, and looked a little shyly to her. She caressed his charmed face tenderly. 'I love that you snore and wake me. I love how you make me feel safe.' He huffed out a sigh through his nostrils, still grinning, looking utterly besotted with her.

'I love the sensation of your body inside mine... I love Parker. I love how you mutter under your breath when you're angry with me.' His brows rose a little, then he nuzzled into her neck, kissing her gently. She deliberately eased his head up so he was staring into her eyes, when she said, 'I love that you love me for all my faults. And I _love _what I am with you...' She saw his eyes start to fill, she kissed his lips, feeling her own eyes melt. Adding finally and most importantly, she promised, 'Thirty, forty or fifty years from now, I'll _still _love you.'

Her passionate yet tender spiel had reduced him to tears, especially her last sentence. He knew that was her pledge and solemn commitment to him. He rested his brow on hers, and thrust into her slowly. She gripped his other hand in hers, they laced fingers, and kissed. Pulling their hands from between them, they laced them too. Reaching their zeniths together, they flowed into one another in silent airless rapture.

!

**Chapter XX Nappy Talk.**

Later in the year. Residence of Mr & Mrs Hodgins.

'Can I give Nessa her bottle?' Booth asked of Ange sweetly. Bones grinned wide at him, adoring the hopeful pout he begged her with. 'Bones got to feed her.' He looked back to little Nessa, and beamed at her, cooing, 'Didn't she? Yeeersss she fed you, didn't she? Aunty Tempe fed you greeeeen mushy stuff. Yum, yum.'

'Haa. Here you go.' Ange handed him the warmed milk, continuing with, 'Then you and Jack can change her diaper, while Bren and I go for a walk around the garden.'

'Leave it with us. We have it all under control, haven't we?' Booth said arrogantly, looking to Jack for support.

Jack laughed ironically, then saying knowingly, 'You ain't seen her diaper deposits yet. That green stuff comes out fermented and pretty high, Man. Control is not the right noun to use.'

'We can handle it, don't be a woose, Jack,' Booth motivated, un-phased by Jack's dire knowledgeable warning.

Bones walked over to him, smooching his lips, continuously moved by how adorable and keen he was to help out with their God daughter. He hummed at her kiss, holding Nessa in his arms, and already feeding her the formula. Bones kissed her brow too, then walked off the patio into the fall sun with Ange.

!

The moment they were out of ear shot and sight of the men, Ange stated not asking, already sure of her fact, 'You're pregnant.' Bones looked stunned at her, her jaw dropping. 'Aren't you?' Ange pushed, beaming a weighty smile at her.

Bones snapped her mouth shut, and smiled. 'Yes.' Ange grabbed her into a massive elated hug.

'Fantastic! I'm so happy for you both. Oh. Bren, so happy.' Ange laughed, and wept for joy with her. They wiped their smiling eyes, and strolled on arm in arm.

'How did you know? I thought I've hidden the early signs extremely well.'

'Haa. Yes you have, but you forget that I'm a _sneaky _little ferret. The physical signs are _glaringly _obvious. I've seen you furtively adjusting your bras recently. You're smiling _all _the time. Jack and me were laughing at you the other day, we could hear you _singing _in your office. I mean, you _never _sing. And I've seen how you look at Booth when he's holding Nessa. You can't wait to see your baby in his arms.'

Bones stopped walking, and looked at her feet. 'I've been so anxious which is completely rational and understandable.' Ange nodded sympathetically. 'So I've waited till I'm past my first trimester before I tell anyone.'

Ange asked, surprised to hear that from her, 'How far are you along then?'

'I'm starting to show, four and half months.'

Ange's mouth dropped open wide, then she started to laugh. 'Haa! Amazing. Have you felt any flutters yet?'

'Yes. I just had one when we stopped walking.' Bones explained, grinning from ear to ear, and sliding her palm over her stomach.

'Oooh. Bren, darling. Wonderful. It's incredible, isn't it?' Ange gushed, recalling her own feeling at the time.

'Yes. I'm so much more relaxed now. It was just like last time. I knew we conceived a day later. I was so concerned but I had a conversation with my OBGYN and he reassured me, told me to stop worrying.' They walked on through the rose garden towards the lake.

'What did Booth say when you told him or did he guess? I would've _loved _to be a fly on the wall to _that _conversation.'

'I haven't, not yet and he hasn't guessed.' Ange looked stunned at her, Bones grinned slyly. 'I'm telling him today or tomorrow. I'm waiting for the right moment.'

'Oh. Bren, tell him soon,' Ange urged. 'Let him share your obvious joy.'

'I intend to. I shall procrastinate no longer.' Bones wagged a finger in the air to prove her decision. 'We're picking Parker up later, he's staying for a few of days while Rebecca and Todd are away. I have a subtle plan forming.'

'Yes, I can see it in your devilish smile.' Then Ange added excitedly, 'How ya gonna do it?' Bones took a deep breath, and began to relay her plan.

!

**Chapter XXI Take The Hint.**

Sunday Morning. 09.32.

The late fall sunlight streamed in through Bones' bedroom window and warmed her face, gilding it. It warmed the room too as it slid across the cream carpet, edging its way up the wall to her left.

She adored the laziness of Sunday mornings now. They'd slob around and eat in bed; make slow love, share a bath, and read the papers. If the working week had been heavy going, they might lay in till twelve. Or if Parker stayed on the Saturday night, he'd join them in bed in the morning, too early sometimes but she didn't care about that. Then later they took Parker out somewhere. Sometimes she'd sit on the sidelines with the other parents while Parker played his sports, and cheered or consoled him, depending on the result. Then they'd eat out, or go to a movie, swim, walk or visit family and friends. Or they'd come to them for dinner. It was a simple, classic, normal existence she had now. Some might conclude their life sounded humdrum, but to her, it was the domestic paradise she'd envisioned for so long. One she'd secretly envied other's for having in the past.

Her career progression was not paramount anymore, important yes, but not her sole purpose in life. Previously she would be all about the mind and knowledge but that only made her half the person she was capable of becoming.

Now she had another purpose in life, the one that made her feel complete and not half of the whole. The man that had made her complete and helped her fulfil her true purpose needed to know her secret. She'd had this secret knowledge for sometime now and had been waiting for him to see the glint of it in her eye. She could easily see it every time she happened to look in the mirror. As of yet he hadn't seen it, she reasoned probably because he was utterly content as they were for now.

Bones blinked her eyes open, winging her thoughts away with something more pressing at hand to deal with, and flexed her pelvis. Booth was between her legs under the covers, and doing what he'd done every morning since they'd become sexually active again. She started to giggle as he moaned wantonly, and she saw his hands pop out from the sheets to squeeze each full breast. She lifted the sheets and he looked up. 'Morning, Gorgeous,' he said, licking his lips. She laughed a little harder.

'Haa. _Every _morning, Booth? I don't think you've missed a sunrise.' She watched him grin lecherously and immodestly at her. He waggled his brows, beaming a divine smile to warm her up even more.

'Man's gotta eat, Bones and breakfast is the most important meal of the day,' he explained naughtily, squeezing her breasts hard, and went down again for his helping. Her gasp mixed with her laugh, made her sound like she'd burped. He flicked his eyes up, chuckling too at the silly noise. She slapped her hands over his on her breasts.

'Not so hard, Seeley,' she reprimanded gently as they were so tender. She thought he might catch on then, he didn't.

He relaxed his firm grip instantly, smoothing them. 'God, I'm sorry. You just drive me crazy. You're so voluptuous and sensual, I gotta get my fix otherwise I get _really _cranky about three.'

'Haa. That's better, very nice,' she said, as he caressed them gently now. Her hands slipped down her abdomen, she said her silent good morning over her crowned stomach to the life she safely cradled. Then her hands went into his hair, and stroked through his soft strands.

Booth said absently, 'I'm sure they're getting bigger the more I touch 'em.' Then returning his attention to her bud, he floated over it feather soft. That was the charm and she felt herself start to drift into welcome AM oblivion. She lay still just feeling the bliss twitch her toes, tweak her nipples and sublime heat radiate out from her core to everywhere she existed.

She loved how he let her enjoy the very last ripple before he thought about his own needs. He was always such a generous lover, she mused deliriously sated.

The next thing she registered was his lips kissing over her slightly domed stomach, and heard him murmur, 'Beautiful,' against the flesh of her belly. On seeing what she looked like enraptured, it still filled his heart and quickened his pulse. 'I think you like tagliatelle a la Booth a little _too _much.'

She thought then he might see her secret but alas not, she grinned at him. 'How's that?' she asked, as he kissed each of her ribs one at a time. The closer he got to her face the bigger her smile got.

'Well, I'm _not _complaining but I think you may have put on a little weight.' He grinned salaciously. 'It looks _great _on ya. Look at these, they're _awe-some,' _he raved excitedly, his eyes flaring as he savoured the full weight of her left breast in his palm. He was clearly unconcerned about the extra few pounds she was carrying. Which she found amusing and reassuring, as she knew they were probably going to get a lot bigger yet.

'Haa. Actually, you're right, I have put on a _little _weight_.' _She was about to continue but he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and groaned his mounting desire. She instinctually opened her thighs, and wiggled her hips to position him. He groaned again as he felt her hot labia on his crown, and pushed inside her firmly. He gasped, as he wedged himself into her, then began to move. 'Humm. It's probably all that extra protein I'm eating, the white _fish_.' She hoped that comment might make him curious, considering she was supposed to be vegetarian.

'I think it's great that your eating _proper _food now. That's all my doing. I'm taking full credit for that. I'll get you on juicy steaks in no time at this rate.' Bones laughed at his proud boast, but also with irony as he still didn't get her hints.

She gave up for a while on the subtle clues because she wasn't getting far and she felt her tension building. They kissed lazily, while he swivelled his svelte hips against her pelvis and she ground out in the opposite direction. They had this down to a fine art now, and raced towards their combined crescendo.

Familiarity breeds contempt was how the saying went, she pondered, but they'd found it a complete misnomer. Familiarity had breed in them easy cell splitting orgasms and tightened their emotional bond. They'd spend hours sometimes making love and treating the other to wondrous prolonged sensations. Other times, times like this, it was all about urgent passion.

'Do that thing you do,' he muttered on her wet lips, with begging eyes.

Bones kissed his mouth, doing that thing he went boss-eyed with. 'What, _this _thing or the other _really _naughty thing?' She grinned salaciously.

Booth nodded fast. 'This thing-this-thing, Oh! Gaarrr,' he growled, as his eyes slammed shut, and he began rutting wildly into her as his scrotum solidified. She stopped her thing, and saw him sulk, and pant to calm himself. 'Cruel, cruel woman,' he chastised playfully.

'I am, aren't I?' she said cheekily. Then started her thing again unselfishly, lovingly. Seeing his eyes roll back, she smiled as he began to thrust a little slower to savour the delicious sensation she was milking from him. 'How's that?'

'Perfect, incredible, so good I can barely... Oh. God, Tempe, love you, love you,' he muttered sincerely, delving into her yoni repeatedly hard. She didn't deny him the luxury as later on as she swelled, he would have to be a lot gentler with her. She curled her legs around his, and matched his hilting penetrations with her pelvic thrusts. They grunted, gasped and thrashed, sprinting towards their dramatic orgasmic conclusion.

Euphoria swallowed them up for a few divine minutes while their lungs rasped for oxygen. Collapsing to her side, Booth whimpered, adorably exhausted. Bones' pupils finally began to refocus on something that didn't appear to be moving, and she blew out a long whistling gust from her lungs. 'You ja just... spun my world,' she snuffled into his ear, while drizzling her fingertips down his supple moist spine.

'Mine's still spinning,' he countered wearily. 'We just get better each time, have you noticed?' He felt her nod against the pillow, and sigh to agree.

Bones' mind settled and refocused on her task once it was re-saturated with enough oxygen. Feeling him kissing the side of her face sweetly as he recovered, she whispered, 'We should find a new property, Seeley.' He lifted his head to look at her. She grinned hopefully, stroking his curious expression. 'We need more room,' she explained.

'Nah. We don't,' he rebuffed. Reaching into the nightstand drawer for tissues, he pulled a clump out, and gently freshened her. She loved that he was so considerate like this, which was another thing she adored about him. He went on, 'I'll tidy up my stuff up today. I do _try _to keep things tidy but I'm such a slob, I know,' he apologised, giving her his puppy eyes to forgive him.

'You're _not _a slob and you _do _keep things tidy. I just thought we could get something a _little _bigger. Parker could have a larger room and he could decorate it how he wanted...'

'Oh. No, no, no, he'll have it multi-coloured and covered in gaudy posters!' Booth rolled back to the bed, and placed his hands behind his head, relaxing into his post orgasmic lethargic phase.

'So? It'll be _his _room. He could do what he liked in it.' Bones cleaned his settling member fastidiously now, while grinning at his dismissal of her suggestion. She mused, and still he didn't catch on, rolling her eyes, and shaking her head. Feeling him silently thank her with a tender caress of her back.

'Huh! You say that _now!_' he barked. She got off the bed almost defeated, and walked to their en suite. He watched her go, hearing her laughing softly, and disappearing behind the door. He shouted after her, 'Besides we love it here, we're close to work and all our friends and family. You love living in the city!'

'Yes, that's all true!' she shouted back.

He heard the toilet flush and the taps go on. He just knew she would brush her teeth now. He grinned smugly when she popped her head around the door with the brush in her mouth. She was scrubbing them and had white frothy lips. 'But think about it, Booth. You could have a _den_.' She tried to tempt him by accentuating the benefits of a bigger property. 'Me, an _office_. We could have a _garden _and even our _own _pool?' she mumbled over her vigorous brushing, as they stared at each other. She ducked back in the bathroom, and rinsed, looked at her glowing face in the mirror, and smiled. Taking a deep breath, she shouted out lastly, as casually as she could, 'And a _nursery_!' Putting on her kimono, she waited for something, any reaction from him. On hearing nothing for a few moments, cautiously she edged around the doorframe of the bathroom, wiping her mouth with a hand towel.

She scanned his rigid pose; he was now sat on the very cusp of the bed, legs splayed and tensed as if he was about to launch into space. His fingers gripped the edge of the mattress either side of his braced torso, tethering him. If she looked hard enough she reckoned she would see his heart drumming under his sternum, powering up his engines. He had a slack jaw but his eyes were as wide as they could possibly go. She covered her laugh at his stunned expression with her towel. The countdown had started, she thought.

'A, a nur-nursery?' he asked, stumbling on his question endearingly. She nodded three times, then took away the towel from her mouth, to smile at him as wide as she could stand. She could see him making all the connection fast now. She counted down; _six_, _five, four... _

'A baby?' She nodded again, stepping a couple of paces closer. Feeling her heart explode in her chest, the sensation almost levitating her off the ground, she smiled harder. _Three, two..._

Then she confirmed gently, 'We're pregnant, Seeley... It's our turn...' feeling her tears of joy glitter her cheeks. _One, lift off..._

Booth sprang off the bed like a Saturn V rocket, grabbed her around her waist, and lifted her high into the air over his head. Opalescent tears of elation flowed down his face, as he twirled her around and around. Looking up to her as if she were a unearthly deity he was worshiping. She gripped her legs around him, and kissed his lips demandingly hard, riding with him skywards in their emotional ecstasy.

They kissed deeply for a few frantic seconds, changing their angle of rampage twice, then he called out to the sky above, 'A baby, our baby!'

Looking back to her, he asked, 'Oh. Tempe, my, Bones. When, _when_?' He sat her down on the bed, and knelt at her feet, mashing his lips to hers. His hands instinctually feeling for her stomach tenderly, he laughed, then sobbed, then laughed again, delirious with his joy.

'We're four and half months. In the early spring, around your birthday.' Her hands were busy caressing too, and she kissed him blithely. 'I had to wait, be sure it was safe to tell you. I couldn't bear to break your heart again if...' she trailed off as he shook his head to gesture he didn't care she'd kept it a secret from him. 'I couldn't tell you till now. I wanted to so much, I really did but...' Booth nodded, and eased open her robe, and pushed gently on her shoulders. She laid flat on the bed as he kissed over her domed stomach, and officially introduced himself to their baby. Bones felt her tears trickle down her temples at how his warm hands quivered on her flesh. 'You're clearly _extremely _virile, Seeley.' She caressed his hair. 'We only made love twice, and each time we conceived.'

She felt him chuckle on her stomach, then he kissed up her body to hover over her lips, grinning like the cat that got the cream. Their eyes danced a loving waltz over one another's expressions. She wiped his tears away, and tilted her head slightly. Booth said, 'I can't believe I've been so blind.' She began to chuckle again, and nod. 'You stopped drinking, and you're eating _meat _for Christ's sake. I didn't get any of those hints this morning, what an idiot.' He shook his head disbelievingly at his dull-wittedness.

'It was quite amusing though and it doesn't matter now, you know,' she said, sitting up again, while he hugged her close, nuzzling her reverently. 'We've got our first scan at ten tomorrow.' Booth's eyes lit up even more hearing that. 'We should get our first glimpse. I'm so excited about it,' she confessed.

'Bones, my gorgeous, Tempe, we're having a _baby_.'

'Yes,' she confirmed softly, seeing the glint in her eye duplicated in his now.

'I'm ecstatic. You've made me so happy, so happy.' He started to weep again, surrounding her in his arms, and they laid down together.

They jumped shocked as their door swung wide opened. 'Oh? Are we going skinny dipping again?' Parker asked, as he strolled unexpectedly into their room, and scratched his bed hair absently. He'd seen his father naked and made the assumption, Bones presumed. She laughed, and sat up, covering herself modestly. Booth sat up too, and shook his head at his son, wiping his eyes. 'Why are you crying then, has someone died?' Parker looked confused, as he climbed onto their bed, yawning.

Bones cocked a brow at Booth, he knew she was leaving it to him to break the news. Then they both looked around to the pre teen, sitting cross legged on their bed.

'No, no one's died. I'm crying cos I'm so happy, Little Man. Bones just told me something _really _special,' he explained a little nervously, not sure how his son was going to react.

'Oh. _That_... You're gonna have a baby, I know,' he stated nonchalantly.

Booth's jaw hit the floor, looking gormless, and froze.

Seeing his expression of incredulity that his son knew before he did, Bones started to laugh. Enamoured and impressed with Parker's insight though, she held her palm up to him and Parker smacked it back gleefully. He jumped up on his knees, and held her around her neck. Instinctually she held him back too. He enthused, 'I think it's faaaan,' drawing out the word in her face, tempting her to say it with him.

'Faaaaan- dabbi-dozee!' they both exclaimed, giggling in hysterics at each other afterwards. Then Parker said very seriously suddenly, 'I know you can't choose but... I _reeeally _want a brother.' Bones kissed his cheek, chuckling at his honesty and his earnest expression.

'Haa. You're right, we can't choose, we'll just have to wait and see. Girls can be cool too, Parker. I'm cool.'

'Yeah, but boys make better football and hockey players.'

'This is true. Their muscle strength and testosterone levels do give the male a physical advantage in combative sports,' she said semi-seriously. Smoothing his hair down affectionately, thinking that went fairly well, she offered, 'Breakfast?' moving on casually. Parker's eyes lit up, and he nodded fast. She slipped off the bed with his hand in hers, and they made their way to the door. Before they went through it they looked around to Booth who was still sat dumb and looking into space, blinking.

Coming out of his trance like state, Booth asked, 'How did you find out?'

'Ooooh. Dad, sometimes you can be _so _dense. _I _guessed. I've known for weeks!' Booth mouthed his one word questions silently, as they walked to the kitchen.

Seeing he was alone with his shock, and feelng ridiculously foolish, Booth slung on his robe, and trotted out after them. Bones was already busy making tea and coffee, and Parker was sitting up on the counter, stirring a bowlful of pancake batter mix. They were chatting happily about the upcoming event quite ordinarily. Booth went to his son, and ruffled his hair, giving him a kiss, while hugging Bones to him with the other arm. Then he kissed her smile too. 'You are my world, both of you,' he said deeply affected and seriously.

Parker glanced to Bones, who grinned cheekily back at him. Then Parker reprimanded, 'Waaay too mushy, Dad.' Bones huffed a chuckle, and pecked Booth's cute pout to make him smile again. It didn't take much persuading for that smile to settle on his face.

'So come on then, spill. How did you guess?' Booth stood behind Bones, wrapping his arms around her, and caressed her stomach. Bones pecked his cheek every now and then, neither party able to lose their smiles nor wanting to.

Parker started to tell him proudly, 'Easy-peesy. Bones is vegetarian, but babies and mothers need lots of protein. So she's been eating a little fish, tuna and that cod stuff with the sauce she made couple of weeks ago. Which was delish, btw,' he said generously.

'Thank you,' Bones said humbly. She sipped her tea, leaning back onto Booth, caressing the hair at the back of his head.

'You're welcome. Then I've noticed you're not having coffee and you used to like your cup of coffee in the morning...'

'Yep, I've gone right off it,' she confirmed succinctly. Booth kissed her neck tenderly, grinning.

'And when I noticed that at dinner you would have water or juice when you normally have a glass of wine, I got to thinking. Ladies who are having babies shouldn't drink wine, not in the early stages, Mom told me that.'

Bones said, while flipping pancakes, 'She's very knowledgeable, your Mom.' Parker grinned, and nodded to agree.

'Then there's the _other _things I noticed,' he said shyly, sipping his glass of milk, casting his eyes down. Booth saw his reluctance to go on, so ruffled his hair which lifted Parker's eyes to his.

'Go on, Park, tell us, what things?'

'Well, it's a little embarrassing.' He glanced to Bones' chest then back into his milk. 'Your... have got bigger. _Way _bigger.'

'Haa!' Bones threw her head back, and laughed out loud. She thought him just like his father, unable to say the word if it had even a slightly sexual conation. '_Breasts_, Parker. My breast are bigger. You _can _say the word.' Parker flushed flamingo pink and Booth shuffled uncomfortably behind her. 'Anything else caught your eye, Master Booth?' she asked playfully.

'Yeeeeah,' he oozed, grinning hard at her. She cocked a brow at him to continue. 'You looked like you had a secret in your eyes,' he said wistfully, staring into them now. 'It's a little star just about, there.' He pointed cutely, and peered at the glint in her sapphire iris.

Touched and moved, Bones hugged him hard. 'You're going to make a _brilliant _investigator just like your father, but considerably _better_.' Cheered by her endorsement, Parker grinned smugly at his father, who knuckled his head proudly.

!

**Chapter XXII The Ecstasy. **

Four and half months later.

Booth's cell chimed, he pulled it quickly from his pocket, and read the message. He smiled at Bones, handing her the phone to read it too. While handing it back, she nodded, saying jovially, 'Ooo. Excellent. The game's afoot at last, Watson.'

'Haa. So it seems, Sherlock. Everything ready?' He smooched her lips, then started to snigger like a mischievous school boy.

'Yes. Isn't this fun?' she asked excitedly.

'_Totally_. I better go. See ya in a bit.' She nodded, flaring her eyes, then gazed at the eight hour old baby girl in her arms. Booth kissed his sleeping daughter's brow delicately, but before he went he kissed Bones' lips again. 'She's as beautiful as you. You're amazing, Tempe, a natural Mommy. I love ya _so _much.'

Bones smiled, deeply touched by his sincere admiration of her confident maternity. 'Love you more. _Go,_' she urged.

!

As Booth walked down the corridor with a spring in his step, a gaggle of their friends and family filled out the bright corridor with their excited chatter. Along with masses of cute soft toys, more bunches of flowers than a garden centre, and bopping shiny balloons.

Booth noted they all looked to him at once, they stopped talking, then to his astonishment and delight they all cheered, and applauded merrily. He burst into riotous laughter, and took three deep bows. He muttered, 'Thank you, I thank you all,' not very humbly, and a flourish of his palm.

'Dad!'

'Little Man!' Parker squeezed between Cam and Michele, letting go Rebecca's hand, and galloped towards him. Ange walked beside Jack who pushed Nessa in her pushchair. While Sweets, Russ, his girls and Max and Pop's all watched on, charmed.

Parker leapt into his arms, and snapped his legs around him. Booth cuddled him hard, and kissed his blonde wild hair. Everybody was around them suddenly, either patting his back or kissing his cheek and offering them their heartfelt congratulations. 'How's Tempe?' Ange asked first, eager to know.

He beamed wide lighting up the corridor more with it. 'She's _great_. She's doing brilliant and _desperate _to see you all. Sorry about all the cloak and dagger routine but Tempe had to be induced last night as her blood pressure started to spike and they were concerned for the baby.'

'We don't care about that! What did you have?' Booth grinned sneakily, looking around at all the expectant faces holding their breaths.

'I'll let Bones tell ya. Come on.' He gestured with his head and Parker dropped out of his embrace but Booth didn't let go his hand. He leant down to kiss little Nessa before he opened the door. 'Nice and quiet now, baby's asleep.' They all nodded, and hushed as he opened the door. He walked in with Parker leading the crowd.

Parker locked eyes with Bones who was sat on top of the bed with her ankles crossed casually. She had a swaddled sleeping baby in her arms and looked radiant and vibrant. Her smile filled the room it was so huge. 'Parker, come up here. Sit next to me.' She patted the bed for him to join her, letting him take pride of place. Everybody else traipsed in two at a time, mewing their sentimentality at seeing her with a small baby in her arms.

Although the private room was huge it became very tiny as she received their congratulations, compliments and kisses from her jubilant family and friends. Booth stood back, letting everybody get a good look.

'Parker, we're sorry to disappoint you, we know how much you wanted to have a brother but your dad and me made a baby girl. This is your sister, Grace...' Everybody cooed again, some shed tears, others sighed soppily. Booth smiled as Bones looked over to him behind everyone circling her bed.

'No matter, Bones, she's _so _pretty and has got your nose. She's very tiny,' Parker said, unconcerned at getting a sister.

'Yes, she is small, five pounds three to be exact, and probably not really going to be a good football player,' Bones said, kissing Parker's hair for being so affectionate with Grace. He played with her tiny fingers, staring into her serene face.

Booth spoke next from behind them all, 'Yeah, we felt so bad for ya, Little Man... but look who popped out two minutes after little Gracie...' Everybody turned, then gasped astonished as Booth held another bundle in his arms.

'Oh, my, God!' _Twins_?' Ange asked. The noise in the room increased and charmed laughter erupted as Booth sat on the bed with his sons, daughter and Bones. Bones kissed Booth's lips tenderly.

'Yes, not so smug now, are you? We hoodwinked you all!' he said proudly.

Ange waffled, 'I can't believe you didn't let on! How you kept that quiet, I'll _never _know.'

Max added, 'Wow. Just like your Aunt Flo, she had twins...' Bones grinned, nodding at him. 'Great surprise, _excellent _secret keeping, Honey,' he praised.

'Well, we've been pretty good in the past at keeping secrets.' Bones looked to Booth remembering back, it seemed to her, all that was a lifetime ago now. Booth kissed her cheek sweetly, then she went on, 'When we were told at my first scan, we had the same expressions you all have now. Haa! Since Booth felt so bad for not picking up on my pregnancy before most of you, so we hatched a plan. I think it worked _extremely _well.'

Booth and Bones looked to Parker whose eyes sparkled with amazement. 'Two girls?' he asked.

'Nope, we had fraternal twins. This, is your _brother_.' Parker gasped, and checked with Bones to be sure, she nodded gleefully confirming. Booth went on, 'And guess what?'

Parker asked, seemingly delighted he had two siblings, 'What?'

Bones said softly, 'You get to give him a name.'

Parker's eyes lit up, obviously delighted to be given the honour, exclaiming, 'Fan-dabbi-dozie!'

Everybody laughed except Booth who said seriously, 'No, we're not calling him that, Park. Pick another...'

!

**Authors notes: **Hope you enjoyed the shameless _unrelenting _mushiness at the end. Reviews always welcomed. Lebxeb XX


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